Worth the Wait
by Wild Rhov
Summary: From the day Loke promised to be Gray's partner in the S-Class trial, to Loke admitting he is Leo, to Tenrou Island and beyond. How long will Gray wait for Loke to notice his feelings? COMPLETE (This story ended at Chapter 10, all additional chapters are just gratuitous "extras")
1. Winter, X783

_Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima would never write this into _Fairy Tail_, so I did. Rated M for adult content. You'll need to be patient, but hopefully it's..._

**Worth the Wait**

a _Fairy Tail_ fanfic

by Rhov

**Winter, X783**

They had been teamed up by force. When Makarov ordered a mage to go on a specific assignment, it was pointless to argue. Gray was not all too impressed with the tired-looking playboy, nor was Loke too keen on having a seventeen-year-old stripper stealing all the girls away with his flawless pale skin and firm abs. So they agreed, for this trip only, Gray would try to keep his clothes on and Loke would refrain from flirting. Both just wanted to get the mission over with so they could return to their normal habits. Yet as they rode a train and listened to the _clack-click-clack_ of the rails with the gentle sway of the train car, both realized something odd about their partner.

"This is surprising," Loke finally spoke. "You've gone half a day without removing more than your coat."

"I'm the one surprised," the raven-haired teen muttered as he stared out the window. "The waitress that just came by was rather cute, yet you turned down buying drinks from her."

Loke knew he was right. He had barely even looked at the lady with her clattering cart of beverages. For whatever reason, his focus had settled onto the mage in front of him.

He tried to think back to the first time he met Gray. It was nearly two years ago. The fifteen-year-old boy had been a lot shorter back then, still settling into his newly-cracked voice, yet just as eager to fight Natsu. Just some brat with a bit of magic, he thought. Loke joined Fairy Tail to make money in this world he was trapped in. He had no need to make friends, not when he knew his time was limited. So he kept around girls he could trade in every week, and he only casually talked to other guild members. He decided to lessen his contact with the younger generation who might be affected worse when his time was up and he had to leave. That was why he was not too keen on being teamed up with Gray now. Yet he saw something in those blue eyes that shocked him.

Loneliness.

This teen had lost his family, and although Loke did not know what darkness haunted his past, it was obvious from the serious gaze that it was something he had not come to terms with yet. Not like Loke could face his own demons!

The mission was to rescue the daughter of a rich man who got lost in the mountains. Gray had grown up around this area, so he was picked because he knew the terrain. All anyone knew was that the girl was in a cave which extinguished all flames and shorted out all electronics, so a flashlight or torch could not be used. That was where Loke's light magic came in handy. Otherwise, it was a simple mission.

They arrived in early December, a horrible time to be up in the mountains. Loke pulled his fur-lined hood up, but Gray looked unaffected by the icy wind that slashed their faces with sharp snowflakes. Gray took the lead, knowing the path without needing a guide. Loke tried to ignore his shivering and followed. It took a few hours to reach the cave. Purple moss grew on the walls. Sure enough, the lantern Loke had taken with him to see through the blizzard winked out as soon as they stepped inside.

"This must be the moss Master was talking about," Loke realized, about to poke some spongy purple mass.

"Don't touch it!" Gray shouted. "It's called flamesbane. It can also be poisonous."

"You know a lot about this place."

"I grew up in a village that used to be around here," Gray said so softly, Loke could barely hear him over the wind whistling past the lip of the cave like a giant playing a flute. "I used to play in the caves near our home. We could never enter the caves where flamesbane grew." He laughed softly. "I always wanted to take Natsu here just to watch him flail about helplessly."

Loke smirked at the mischievous gleam in the teen's blue eyes. Then he lifted his hand, and a golden light illuminated from his ring. They began traveling forward, calling for the girl. Luckily, she was not too badly hurt, mostly just scared and starved. Gray knelt beside her and made sure she had not eaten any of the moss. He gave her a granola bar he had in his pack and some water. She was small and weak, so he removed his white coat, wrapped the child up in it, lifted her into his arms, and carried her out. When they reached the lip of the cave, Loke offered to take her.

"I'm fine," Gray assured. "If we're attacked, your magic would be better suited here."

"But you'll freeze."

Gray barked a wry laugh. "I used to train in blizzards naked. That's where I got my bad habit." Loke saw the boy's eyes lower sadly. "She'd take us up here, strip out of her own clothes, then order us to do the same. Embrace the cold! Before winter was over, I learned to stop shivering."

Loke was impressed to say the least. Not just about his training, but the loyalty in his words, the love in his voice, such deep sadness in his eyes.

This was no normal bratty little teenager.

Sure enough, they met mountain bandits on the way back, but they were not much trouble. Not a single one knew magic, and Loke managed to take on all ten by himself while Gray shielded the girl from their attacks. Gray watched his partner. He did not know much about Loke, although he had been in Fairy Tail for about two years. He did not completely understand the Ring Magic he used. It looked so different from the Cards Magic he saw Cana use. Plus it wasn't just about magic. Loke fought with a certain grace that was almost hypnotic. No move was extraneous, each kick and punch had power and fluid motion. Gray was disappointed when the last bandit fell. He wanted to watch Loke fight just a little bit longer.

They went down the mountain without further trouble besides the strong winds and pelting snow. With the mission over, they collected the reward money and decided to stay the night in the village, since the trains stopped running due to the blizzard. They rented a room with two beds. Gray dropped off to sleep right after eating, but Loke was not at all sleepy. Tired, yes, but never sleep. He sat at the window, staring into the dark night, wishing he could at least look at the stars.

"Ur," Gray groaned in his sleep.

Loke looked over to the bed and saw the boy fidgeting in a nightmare. He realized it must be hard for Gray to return to his homeland after so long. He knew better than to ask what happened, what drove him out of his home, away from his teacher, as far south as Magnolia.

"Lyon, no," Gray moaned again.

Loke sighed. Perhaps it was better to wake him so he would not be tortured with nightmares. He stood and quietly walked over to the bed. Gray fought against the sheets. His teeth were gritted into a rictus grimace of fury.

"Hey, wake up," Loke said softly.

"Ur, stop!" Gray yelled, swinging his head in protest.

Loke shook him. "Wake up!"

Gray bolted up. "_Noooo!_" He panted hard and fast, eyes wide in a vision of terror. Slowly, he saw it was over and looked around at the strange surroundings. He saw Loke beside him with a concerned face half hidden by his blue shades.

What happened next surprised them both...eventually. Gray threw himself into Loke's arms. His green eyes widened in shock. For a moment, he had no clue what to do. Then he felt trembling. This teen who could walk through a winter blizzard without a single shiver was now shaking with terror in his arms. A protective side to Loke sprang up, his eyes softened plaintively, and he wrapped his arms around Gray's bare shoulders.

"She did it...to save us," Gray sobbed.

Loke had an idea what he meant. He knew what self-sacrifice was like. He wondered for a moment what Aries thought, knowing he unwittingly sacrificed himself to free her from Karen Lilica. "She must have loved you deeply," he whispered in a soothing tone. "It means she was a good teacher. You were lucky to have her there to guide you, if only for a little while."

"But it was my fault," he cried.

"No," Loke said with assurance, stroking Gray's hair. He did not know the circumstances, but he understood perfectly. "She did it out of love."

"But if I hadn't gone, if I had just waited like she said...it was all my..." He pulled back as he thought he heard something. "What was that?"

Loke tilted his head in confusion.

Gray blushed and laughed a little in nervousness. "Sounds crazy but, well, it almost sounded like you were...purring."

Now it was Loke who blushed. Those lion instincts must have come too close to the surface. "Maybe I'm getting a chest cold," he muttered.

"Ah, it must have been spores from the flamesbane. I brought medicine for that. You need to treat it fast or you'll truly get sick."

Gray lit a lamp and rummaged through his pack. Loke opened his mouth to protest, but he had no other way of explaining his momentary purring. Gray grinned when he pulled up a stone jar. Loke decided the teen looked too eager to help, and it would take his mind off his nightmare. Giving in to it, he removed his shirt.

"Huh! So that's where your guild mark is," Gray muttered, staring at Loke's back. "I always wondered." Loke reached out for the jar, but Gray shook his head. "You have to rub it on just right or it stings. It also needs to be instantly frozen, then quickly shattered. Actually, it's the sort of medicine only an ice mage can use. Regular doctors use a different type, but this one reacts faster. Just lay back. I'll do it."

Loke reclined on the bed, and Gray began to rub the cream carefully onto the man's chest. The smell was surprisingly pleasant, and Loke began to relax.

"Hey, uh, Loke?" Gray muttered. "The S-Class trial is coming up. Are you trying for it this year?"

"Nah, I don't think so," he decided. "I've been feeling weaker lately." He laughed softly at the irony. "Maybe I'm getting old."

"How old are you?"

He turned his eyes over to the curious boy. "How old do I look?"

Gray shrugged and capped the jar. "Twenty? No more than twenty-five, I'd say. I'm not good at guessing ages."

"Well, I'm honored you think I look so young," Loke chuckled.

Gray spread his hands out just an inch above Loke's chest. Ice formed right over the layer of cream. Loke shivered at the chill, but it activated something hot in the cream that instantly soothed him. Then Gray stopped the freeze and the ice shattered. The cream fell away with it, leaving behind the tingling warmth.

"That's some neat stuff," Loke admired.

"Feeling better?"

"No more rumbles in my chest," he smirked.

Gray cleaned up the frozen cream, but his mind was elsewhere. "Hey Loke...the S-Class trial, do you think I could make it?"

"Erza did when she was younger than you, so sure, a kid like you could make it."

"A kid like me," he muttered, looking disappointed. "Do you think Natsu could make it?"

"Honestly? He's strong, but he's too immature."

"Am I?"

"You're filled with questions tonight," Loke chuckled, shrugging his shirt back on but not bothering to button it. "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. I'm not exactly the best person to judge maturity," he said with a cocky grin.

"If I'm picked," he said, tugging on the edge of his pajama pants nervously, "do you think, maybe...would you be my partner?"

Loke arched an eyebrow. "Well, I'm honored, but why me?"

Still looking down, Gray gave a light shrug. "Who else can I ask? Erza and Mira are already S-Class, so I can't ask them. Cana is like a permanent installation to the entire S-Class trial system. No way in hell am I asking Natsu. Elfman...I dunno, after Lisanna died, he changed too much. I'd ask Alzack, except he's always with Bisca. The Raijinshū don't hang out with anyone but each other. The others are too weak. You're pretty strong, though. I saw you fight those bandits. Ten against one, yet you looked bored fighting them. I want someone strong like that, and for the S-Class trial, it's not just magic power that counts, but physical stamina. Besides," he chuckled, "when you aren't chasing skirts, you're not that bad of a guy."

"You're rather decent yourself when you aren't fighting Natsu or stripping...which you're doing again," he pointed out.

"We're in private, so I'm allowed to," he decided, yanking his pants off.

Loke decided...he didn't really mind if Gray stripped or not!

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. December 15, X783

**Chapter 2**

**December 15, X783**

Gray dropped his head in disappointment just after Makarov announced the names for the S-Class trial. Once again, Cana was called, as were others. And once again, both Gray and Natsu were passed over.

Gray felt frustrated, but he accepted the decision. He was young, after all. He still had his own personal demons to work out. He heard Natsu yelling at Makarov about not being chosen, and others added in their own arguments on why they felt they should be considered. None were heeded, and Natsu only earned a giant-sized fist to hammer him into the floor.

Gray shook his head at the idiot dragon slayer and turned to leave. Right then, all he wanted was to go home and brood a bit. However, he saw Loke standing right behind him.

"Thanks anyway for volunteering," Gray muttered to him.

Loke put a hand on his shoulder, and the gaze behind his blue-tinted glasses was firm and serious. "That promise is still good. If not this year, then the next, or the next after that. However long it takes, I'll be there to help you. I promise."

Gray's mouth dropped a little. He wanted to thank Loke, maybe offer to buy him some ramen, take him out drinking, perhaps just spend a day together so they could come to know one another better. He even wanted to offer him the chance to do a mission together while the others were off at the trial. He was about to speak when one of Loke's floozy beauties sauntered up and slithered her arms around the ginger-haired man.

"Loke-kuuuuun," she said seductively with a doe-eyed pout. "It's cold outside."

Gray rolled his eyes slightly. With the mini skirt and midriff blouse the lady wore, of course she would be cold. Those fishnet stockings probably did nothing to warm her legs, and it was a miracle she managed to walk anywhere in stilettos, let alone plod around in two feet of snow. It was an outfit meant for seduction...not that much was needed to catch Loke's eye.

Loke's personality instantly changed. His face shined, his eyes squinted into a fake smile, and he held the woman's arm a little too familiarly. "Baby, with me around, you'll never have to worry about the chill. I'm always hot and ready to cuddle. Let's find a cafe with a warm fireplace, a bottle of wine, and a night for just us." He began to lead the woman away, but he gave one last deep look at Gray, a smile meant for him alone.

The Ice-Make mage could have sworn that Loke looked...sad. And tired. Immensely tired, although the shades hid the bags under his eyes. In fact, he was looking far too weary these days, almost like he was getting sick. Gray worried about him.

Before he could make up his mind about what to do, Natsu recovered from Makarov's hit and decided to take his frustration out on Gray. He began with insults, getting right up into Gray's face, taunting him. The rest of the guild chuckled and shook their heads, but Gray sighed that he was once again about to be dragged into a fight.

"I'm not in the mood for this shit," he grumbled. He left Natsu, ignoring shouts that Gray was a coward who knew he could not win against the almighty Salamander. How could this brat be about the same age as him?

Gray stepped out into the snow, took a deep breath, and watched the smoke puff out from his mouth. He loved winter, but it reminded him of so much sadness. Gray pulled out a cigarette, lit it up, and took a long drag. He liked the look of cigarette smoke rings mixed with his own wintry breath. It distracted him from grim thoughts and memories of Ur and Lyon. Then he turned, listened to the muted crunch of his boots on packed snow, and began the long trek to his home.

**End of Chapter 2**

* * *

><p><em>AN: I wonder how many fans remember when Gray used to smoke. They removed all that in the anime, of course, and I haven't noticed him smoking since Galuna Island. Laxus used to smoke too. Natsu probably would, but he'd eat the flame before it could light his cigarette. _^_^


	3. July, X784

**Chapter 3**

**July, X784**

Gray knew he had to hunt down Natsu before Makarov sent one of the S-Class mages to get him. Not that he really wanted to track down that flame-brain idiot, but hearing the old geezer say that Laxus was the only person who could bring Natsu back just made his pride snap.

How many years had he been fighting Natsu? And how often had he lost?

Then again, how often had he won?

He and Natsu were pretty much even. However, if Makarov sent Erza after him, that idiotic dragon boy might end up getting himself killed, and that would make life a lot less interesting in the guild.

As he headed out, he saw Loke coming up the road with four curvaceous girls flocking around him. Gray was starting to see a pattern. The number of girls hanging onto the playboy was directly proportional to the haggard look on Loke's face. Some of the more dirty-minded guild members whispered about reasons why Loke looked so worn out after a date with two or three lovely ladies. Gray knew Loke was a player, but he wasn't _that_ bad of a guy...he hoped.

He knew that after three years he should be used to it, but lately, for some reason, he did not like seeing Loke hanging around girls.

"Oi, Loke, wanna give me a hand?"

With a whisper to his ladies, Loke shrugged them off like an old coat and came up to Gray alone. "Tough mission? It might be a good distraction for me."

The poor man looked so pale, Gray figured he could probably use a distraction. "Fetching a disobedient guild member."

Loke gave a small chuckle. "What did Natsu do this time?"

Not too surprising he guessed who the troublemaker was right away. "Stole a request for an S-Class job. Master wants him hauled in for punishment."

"It really is Natsu, huh? I guess I could help." He turned to his little harem. "Duty calls, ladies. I'll give you a ring later." He gave each a kiss on the cheek. Gray sneered and looked away. In what was becoming a habit, he pulled out a cigarette.

Loke followed beside Gray and occasionally warned him when he was about to tug on his shirt. Gray realized, few people could predict his stripping habit like Loke could. It was like he read his mind. For a moment, he wondered if Loke stared at him, waiting for the moment when his hands began to tug on the uncomfortable cloth. He wondered if Loke was watching him now, but he did not have the nerve to look over, just in case he saw that his suspicion was true.

After a while, Gray heard a soft laugh and looked over. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," Loke simpered. "Just ironic, ya know. You're always fighting that dragon slayer, yet you're the one smoking. It's almost like you want to copy Natsu."

Gray cringed at that. He grabbed the cigarette out of his mouth, threw it down in disgust, and stomped it out. "That's it. Starting today, I quit!"

"Good for you!" smiled Loke. "Personally, it's a habit I don't like. It doesn't really fit your personality, anyway."

They walked to the train station, and finally Loke asked, "So, Natsu thought he could do an S-Class job on his own? Or did you dare him to do it?"

"Hey, I might not like Natsu, but I don't want to send him off on a suicide mission. He probably figured he'd be okay if he took his cat and that rookie along."

Loke stopped short. Gray looked back around and saw Loke shiver. His eyes were wide in dread.

"R-Rookie? You mean the Celestial Spirit Mage, Lucy Heartfilia?"

"Yeah, that's the girl. Oh, right, you don't like her too much. Well, I can take care of her easily enough. She seems pretty weak."

"But she...she has all those Ecliptic Zodiac Keys." Loke swallowed hard and fisted his hand. His thumb ran over the ring with a blue stone in it. "Cancer, Taurus, Aquarius, and now she has Virgo too! If she were to call out one of those guys..." He shuddered again and said in a rush, "Sorry, I can't help." He quickly turned away.

"Oi, Loke!" Gray grabbed the fur-lining of his jacket, but Loke slipped out of it with speed that surprised even the chronic exhibitionist. He tossed the jacket aside and grabbed Loke's shirt instead. "What is with you and Lucy? Why do you hate her?"

"Hate? No, I don't hate her. She's too cute to hate. But...those Spirit Keys..." Again, a shudder rippled through him, and darkness from some distant memory brooded in his eyes. "Karen," Loke whispered.

Gray thought he looked in pain for a moment. Was it his imagination, or was there a shimmer of green around Loke?

"Sorry, Gray. I just can't be around her. I guess you could say it's one of the demons I need to defeat...if that's even possible," he muttered.

Gray knew the rumors. Something had happened in Loke's past, something to do with a lady who was a Celestial Spirit Mage. Women problems! But to cast the shadow of that past onto Lucy, it must have been more than just a nagging girlfriend or bad relationship. Some whispered that the only reason Loke picked Fairy Tail was due to it being the only guild in Fiore that did not have a Celestial Spirit Mage. Now Lucy was here, and Loke ran at the first sight of her.

Gray knew better than to ask too much, but he wished Loke could come to terms with his past. He was often tempted to invite Loke onto their team. They could use someone with his level of maturity, someone who wasn't a scary monster like Erza, a naive blonde like Lucy, or a destructive idiot like Natsu. So long as Loke was terrified of Lucy, Gray could not ask him to join them on missions. He could only stand aside and watch his friend grow more tired every day.

Loke picked his jacket back up and dusted it off. "Good luck catching Natsu," he said, then walked away. As Gray silently watched him, it seemed as if Loke suddenly looked ten times more weary than earlier.

"Hey," he shouted. "Ditch the dames and get some rest. If Natsu gets expelled, I'll need a new sparring partner."

Loke raised a hand to let him know he heard, but Gray wondered if he would even bother to take his advice. He shook his head. Really, there was nothing more he could do. Gray knew the pain of having demons of the past haunting him...in his case, a literal demon, Deliora. He could never forget Ur's face as she was turned into ice, or Lyon's screams when he told his friend that their teacher was dead.

They all had to deal with their personal demons in their own way.

Gray bought a train ticket to Hargeon Town to catch Natsu and Lucy before they reached Galuna Island. As the train pulled out of the station, he stared out the window. That was when he saw Loke standing on the street watching the train leave. He had that same sad smile he had seen last winter, as if there was something Loke wished he could tell him, yet dreaded how their friendship might change if he did. He saw the man's mouth move, but over the train's clacking cacophony, he could not tell what Loke said. Likely, he was only whispering the words anyway.

Outside, Loke saw that Gray had picked the left side of the train, his favorite side. He wished he could simply overcome his past, forget Karen Lilica, and accept Lucy as a friend. She seemed like a nice enough girl, definitely his type. But if she called out one of her Celestial Spirits, and if they recognized him as Leo the Lion, then his secret would be known to everyone. He did not want Aries to know he was out here slowly dying. That was why he had tried so hard for three years to avoid all the Celestial Spirit mages in Fiore. He did not want his friends back in the Spirit World to worry about him or mourn when it was his time to go.

And he had a feeling that time was soon.

"I'm sorry, Gray," he whispered as he watched the teen riding the train. "I wish I could keep my promise. I know I said I'd be your partner no matter how long it took, but...I'm not sure I'll even make it to this winter. I'm really sorry. I wish I could tell you the truth. I wish I had a few more years. Then I might be more willing to make a move, but how I am..." He shook his head sadly. "It's probably best if you stopped hanging around me. You'll just hurt even more when it's my time to go."

He tried to smile, but he felt only sadness. Pain shimmered through him. He had been feeling this dire weakness growing in the past few months. He was surprised he lasted even this long in the Human World, but now...

Now it would be harder to go.

He had made the mistake of making a friend. Now Loke was no longer ready to accept his fate.

"Karen," he seethed.

He had to distract himself. Wine, women, and work: they were the only things that took his mind off from the inevitable. He had learned this bad habit from Karen, but it still worked. He turned away from the departing train, determined to surround himself with as many women as he could before sunset.

**End of Chapter 3**

* * *

><p><em>AN: This is why Gray quit smoking. _^_^


	4. Summer, X784

**Chapter 4**

**Summer, X784**

"What?" Gray screamed. "He left?"

Everyone in the guild was muttering about it. Mirajane looked upset, but what could she do? A mage was free to come and go as they pleased. Still, rarely did a person leave Fairy Tail so suddenly, no warning, no massive case of destruction that they felt they needed to flee from in order to avoid being arrested. That was the usual reason for someone sneaking in, asking in a whisper for her to give their regards to Master and the guild. Loke was one of the least destructive people in Fairy Tail. Unless it was women problems. After all, he had dumped all of his girlfriends the previous night.

"He can't leave!" Gray shouted. Memories clouded his reason.

_Hey Loke...the S-Class trial, do you think I could make it? If I'm picked, do you think, maybe...would you be my partner?_

Gray shook his head. It made no sense. Granted, they had only been on a few missions together since that night in the mountains, but whenever he hinted at wanting to be an S-Class mage, Loke always assured him that they still had a promise to be partners. Of course, lately he said it with that sad smile of his...that smile that hid growing weariness and pain.

"Loke, you lying bastard." Gray hated to be deceived, especially by someone who was supposed to be his nakama.

Natsu leaped up and ran to the guild hall doors.

"Where are you going?" Erza demanded.

The dragon slayer turned around with flames in his eyes. "To find Loke and drag his ass back here."

Cana stepped forward. "I can't find him with my cards. I never was good at getting a reading on that guy."

Macao stood next to her. "Who was the last person to talk with Loke?"

Wakaba laughed and puffed on his pipe. "That guy rarely talks to anyone but pretty ladies."

"Well," Mirajane thought with a finger to her mouth, "half an hour ago he told me to inform Master about leaving, but he left out the back door. Elfman said he saw Loke and Lucy talking by the public bath earlier tonight. I also heard he rescued Lucy yesterday."

Gray's brow tightened. When had Lucy been in trouble? They were on that mission and stayed in the ryokan last night. Granted, she disappeared during the "pillow battle," but she had not mentioned anything about meeting Loke. Then Gray realized she had all those Spirits. Maybe one of them was a bloodhound that could track Loke.

Despite his pillow battle injuries, Gray raced to Lucy's house and slammed open her door. He was shocked to see Happy there with her and some new Spirit he had never seen before. Just how many did the girl have?

He leaped into the room, scaring her. "Lucy, big trouble! Loke left Fairy Tail."

She looked stunned. "But why?"

Why? Gray only wished he knew. "Nobody knows. Everyone's looking for him."

His eyes dropped in consternation. Loke's weakening vitality, his growing paleness, his rampant increase in girlfriends, suddenly trying to be friends with Lucy while still acting terrified of her, and then the rumors that he dumped all of his girlfriends. It didn't make sense!

"That guy, he's been acting strange lately." In the three years Gray had known him, Loke had never once seemed disappointed with Fairy Tail or its members, besides his fear of Lucy. So why quit? Why now?

Lucy looked like she knew something. "Could it be..." She took off in a race.

"Hey, Lucy! Where do you plan to go looking for him?" he asked, eager to help. She did not say, only ran in desperation. Gray would have followed, but his injuries still pained him. "Lucy! Dammit, woman, what did you do to Loke this time?"

Gray limped out. His race to her house hurt badly, but his worries for his friend outweighed his own pain. He heard Levy's and Erza's voices in the distance. He saw Natsu leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Nearby, Mira and Elfman were out shouting and searching. Gray ran out into the streets to join them.

"Please, Loke, be safe. And come back home to me...to us!"

* * *

><p>The next day, Gray listened to the story about Loke being a Celestial Spirit.<p>

"I never noticed at all," he muttered. Not once. Not in three years.

As he stared at his friend, he saw the changes. Loke had been slowly deteriorating. Everyone who knew him saw it, but honestly—no offense to him—the whole guild thought that with his tendency to sleep around, perhaps he had contracted some disease. The guild simply did not ask what was wrong and silently worried. Gray had been guilty of keeping quiet, too. If they had only asked, maybe Lucy could have done something sooner.

At least he was safe now.

The tiredness, the growing paleness, and the small changes that Gray had noticed since winter now made sense. So, he had secretly been dying? And he was really the Celestial Spirit Leo?

Gray realized...he hardly knew this man.

"Is it okay for you to carry on as you've been doing up until now?"

_'Please say yes_,' Gray thought desperately. '_Please say nothing will change. Please say you'll still be a Fairy Tail mage, you'll still go on jobs, you'll still hang out at the guild. Please!'_

"I'm afraid those days are long over, now that Lucy is my owner," Loke answered. "When Lucy's in trouble, I'll gallantly show up. After all, I'm her knight in shining armor."

Gray's stomach twisted at that. When Loke playfully lifted Lucy and walked away carrying her bridal-style, Gray felt a stab in his chest. Why did Loke hide all of this information? Why had he not trusted anyone, even his supposed partner?

Not even Loke's gift of tickets to a resort hotel completely pacified Gray. Although excited at first, he realized Loke was giving them this gift because he could no longer go, and he was not coming with them. Life would never be the same. Loke would no longer walk into the guild with a harem of ladies, flashing smiles and charming anyone with breasts. Although Gray hated to see his friend self-destruct, he disliked the thought of Loke disappearing from the guild even worse.

He followed Loke and Lucy, stalking them maybe, but he could not help it. At her house, Lucy managed to chase her new and persistent Spirit out of the building. Loke ran into the street being swatted by a broom. Then Lucy slammed the door shut.

"Aww, come on, Princess," Loke mewled. "Do you leave your knight to pine away out here?"

"Go back to the Spirit World!" she yelled through the door. "I need to pack."

"I'll help you pick out a bikini."

"Go away, you playboy!"

Gray stepped out of the shadows just then. "You hid it well."

Loke jolted, and his thoughts of teasing Lucy some more were frozen by the icy glare of the raven-haired Ice-Make mage. Gray had gone through another growth spurt that summer. He was probably as tall as he was going to get, which was about the same height as Loke. That was good, Loke thought. Gray's height appealed to him. The boy's lips were still bright but translucent due to the cold that followed him even in the summer. His face had turned lean, although there was no sign of facial stubble yet. The small scar he got on Galuna Island made his face look ruggedly handsome.

"Really, I never noticed, never would've guessed." Gray sounded blasé and bitter. "Even when we did missions together, I thought you were just a normal guy. A total insomniac, but otherwise normal. When were you going to tell me?"

Loke sighed as he realized there were only a few people who knew him this well. He had avoided most of the guild purely for the reason of leaving them. He had not thought it would be like this, returning to his home in the Spirit World. At least this way, he could come back, but in its own way that was even worse. Instead of simply slinking off like a cat ready to die, letting the guild think he merely quit and left them, now he had to deal with the few people he knew well. Lucy could call him out any time she felt lonely, but Gray...this new situation would be worst for him.

"Honestly," Loke said with a serious tone, "I would have taken the secret of my identity to my grave. I'm a proud person, Gray. I didn't want to admit I was some sad, decrepit shell of the Lion Spirit I used to be."

"So you lied to us?"

"I never lied. I just never said if I was Human or not."

"Some partner," Gray muttered. He turned and ran away in anger.

Loke ran after him, easily caught up, and pulled Gray aside to a dingy alley so they were not overheard by the people walking around Magnolia. The space was terribly narrow, the drain at the bottom often flooded, and someone had written graffiti on the brick wall. Loke thrust Gray up against the wall and caged him in with his arms. Gray felt Loke's chest press up against his. Their faces were so close together, it made him uncomfortable.

"What do you want of me, Gray?"

The teen looked at him in confusion. Want? He had no idea what he wanted. He just felt like he was being gypped, but he was unsure how.

"I want..."

He tried to think of something, but an image flashed into his mind. He shook it out. Why was he thinking of forming a team with Loke? He liked being with Erza, Lucy, Happy, and he was learning to tolerate Natsu. What was it he really wanted?

"...you to..."

A new image entered his mind: Loke in his kitchen, cooking dinner together, laughing late into the night, drinking contests in the living room, getting angry when he came home from a hard day on a mission only to find Loke's clothes scattered all over the apartment, an argument when he discovered women's clothes mixed in the wash, making up, being buddies again over drinks and impromptu karaoke.

Having Loke as his roommate: he had thought about offering it before, but he never had the nerve to ask. Especially as Loke began looking more and more ill, he decided to hold back. He did not want his offer to be misconstrued as charity for the sick. He just liked the guy. He wanted to know him better. He wanted their friendship to be closer. Gray did not really have a good close friend. Natsu didn't count! He was a rival, and although he did not really mind going out for drinks with the flame-brain, he was not ready to acknowledge him as a "good friend."

"...be my partner."

Gray's head dropped. Partner? He meant that in many ways, so he decided to let Loke interpret it however he pleased.

"Oh," Loke whispered, loosening his grip on Gray's arm. "Do you mean the S-Class trial this winter?"

That too. "Uh...yeah." That did not sound even a tiny bit convincing, but he did not care. "You promised..."

"I'll be there," he swore.

Gray looked up in surprise and was stunned by the lively gleam in the Lion Spirit's eyes. That was new! "But you said you belong to Lucy now."

"True. Lucy is my owner. She and I have a promise to one another, a bond that can't easily be broken."

That stung Gray. Why did he feel sick? He almost—just almost—hated Lucy for taking Loke away. Why? She had saved Loke! He would have died if not for her!

"But," Loke added, "I had a bond with you first."

Gray swallowed hard. The sickness changed. Gray's cheeks felt feverish. Loke's face suddenly seemed far too close.

"One way or another, Gray, I'll keep my promise to help you. If not this year, then the next. Or the next after that. I'm an eternal Celestial Spirit, after all. I can wait as long as it takes. But," he chuckled, and clasped the teen on the shoulder, "I have a feeling you'll be picked this year."

That made Gray grin. The pride that was the main feature of Leo the Lion flowed into him. He wanted to make Loke proud of him. "I'll do my best. Even if I have to keep working with that flame-brained brat, I'll get stronger."

"I'll do my best too," Loke promised. "I'll rest up and regain my original strength. It might be a little unfair that you have a Celestial Spirit as your partner," he chuckled slyly, "but there's nothing in the rules that a member of Fairy Tail has to be Human."

Then Loke suddenly pulled Gray into a hug. He tried to keep it as a "bro hug" but Gray was wearing a potent cologne. It overwhelmed Loke's instincts. He pulled Gray in just a little closer, and his nose went near his hair. There was a whiff of coconut, something exotic that made him think of hot beaches and Gray lying out in the sun.

Gray was stunned by Loke's move. No one had ever hugged him like this, not since Ur. The memory of that love and gentle touch stirred him. He felt tears in his eyes, until a stream of air from Loke's nostrils blew across his neck and lower earlobe. It made his skin crawl and the pit of his stomach twist.

Then Loke whispered into Gray's ear. "Stay close to Lucy. Protect her. If she loses her Keys, she loses me, which means I'd lose you. So please, Gray, protect her!"

Gray no longer felt any jealousy. He returned the embrace and patted Loke's back, right over where he knew the guild mark was located. "I'll keep an eye on her and make sure she stays on the team. I hope to see you soon, Loke."

Loke pulled back and smiled at him. "I'll definitely see you again...partner." Then Loke faded in golden sparkles.

**End of Chapter 4**


	5. October 15, X784

_A/N: _The lyrics to "Like a Lion" are my own from a post-grunge/alternative-metal song I wrote. Think along the lines of Nine Inch Nails meets Breaking Benjamin.__

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

**October 15, X784**

"And then Loke went all cool and glowy and there was a golden lion made all of light, and then Bickslow went flying and it was over, and then Loke's ring lit up and it said 'I love Lucy' and it looked real pretty. _Dekiteirrrrrru!_"

Gray listened to Happy's account of the fight between Lucy and Loke versus Bickslow. Everyone had wondered how someone like her could defeat a guy powerful enough to be a bodyguard of Laxus, but hearing that it was mostly Loke made sense. Gray remembered watching Loke fight ten mountain bandits, and that had been when he was severely weakened and dying. He was glad to hear his friend was better and had regained his full strength.

He was not so glad to hear that Loke had declared his love to Lucy.

With bitterness boiling in the pit of his stomach, he began to turn away when he discovered Juvia standing so close that he almost ran into her.

"Ummm..." She pressed her fingers together in nervousness. "For the Fantasia parade, Juvia was wondering if Gray-sama might want to help Juvia on the float. Juvia has an idea and costumes, but Gray-sama would make the perfect prince."

Gray sighed in annoyance, ready to tell her to get lost once and for all. Then he looked over to Lucy and saw her gold and silver keys dangling on her belt. His eyes landed on the one carved with a lion's head. Loke was hers now. He had to accept that.

"Sure," he said, forcing a fake smile to the rain woman. "I'll help you out."

Juvia turned pink and looked stunned that he had agreed. She covered her mouth, and her eyes began to water. "Juvia is so happy!"

Gray sighed inwardly but tried to keep looking normal. After all, he should feel happy for his friends...right?

* * *

><p>That night, Gray moaned in a heated dream. He was getting chased over a grassy plain, a snarling beast behind him, but he was running too hard to be able to look around. Then the beast pounced on him and knocked him down. It shredded his clothes, and then Gray felt himself pinned down by strong hands. Instead of a beast, it was a man on top of him.<p>

"Caught you, little snow bunny," a sadistic voice taunted.

He struggled to break free, but the man-beast began to do things Gray had only briefly seen in Erza's secret stash of yaoi magazines (briefly because she almost killed him for snooping). Gray could feel the touches, the hot kisses, and he instinctively knew what was coming next. His heart pounded as the beast handled him like a rag doll, placing him in his lap but facing outward so Gray never saw the face. He felt himself sitting on something hard and a little wet, something that began to press into him as the assailant pulled Gray down into his lap.

"I'm gonna make you squeal, little snow bunny," the beast threatened.

"Nooooo!"

Suddenly, Gray jolted upright in bed, panting, sweating, and hard as a rock. He looked around, saw the familiar shadows of his bedroom, and then looked down at the stiff pole poking at his blankets.

"Damn," he grumbled. He knew these sorts of dreams too well. Going back to sleep while hard and aching like this was impossible. He had to jerk off if he wanted a peaceful night. "Of all nights...and the day before Fantasia too! Fuck!'

There was no use lamenting. He just had to make it fast. He dug a box of tissues and a bottle of lotion out from under the bed, and hidden underneath them was a magazine. Gray slept naked, so he just pulled back the sheets, rubbed some lotion over his hard cock, and turned on a lamp so he could look at the massive-breasted women in the magazine. He looked at their seductive poses and began to stroke himself. It felt good, and the naked ladies were all his favorite types. However, it wasn't women he had been fantasizing over in his sleep. He paused mid-stroke as he realized, if he wanted to make this fast so he could wake up in time to help Juvia on her float, there was one way that would work for certain.

He looked around as if there might be someone watching him in the middle of the night, then pulled out a movie lacrima. It was nothing too weird. He bought it at a zoo, a documentary on the life of lions. However, he skipped ahead to twenty-three minutes into the film. He knew the scene well, precisely where it started and how long it ran. Sometime the previous month, he discovered by accident that videos of lions mating turned him on more than porn magazines.

He watched the lion and his mate, and he began to jerk off again. He muted the monotoned commentator and put on his headphones so he could listen to his own music without his neighbors hearing the driving rhythm, the basso voice of the singer, and the risqué lyrics.

_It's too damn hard not thinking about you._  
><em>Ripping my hair out, screaming your name to the stars.<em>  
><em>Wrong, so wrong, we're from two different worlds<em>  
><em>But it's only you I want... I want... I waaaaaaant.<em>

_So do me! Please me! Take me! Consume me!  
>Ravage me in your animal lust, ooh!<br>Do me! Please me! Take me! Consume me!  
>I'll let you eat me, let me eat you, don't let me go.<em>

The lion grabbed the lioness by her neck and held her still as he entered her. Gray hummed as he thought about how it must feel. He thrust slowly into his hand, feeling the ridges of his fingers and imagining the ridged muscles of an imaginary partner. The music throbbed through his mind, and his wrist began to match the thumping bass line.

He closed his eyes and imagined someone behind him nipping on his neck, with a faint sight of an orange mane in his imagination. He hummed as he fantasized about being forced down and someone entering him, just like in his dream, only it was a tender touch and gentle kisses. At the same time, he wanted to be the one climbing on top and thrusting in. Maybe it was greedy, but he wanted both: to dominate and to be taken. He saw the appeal of threesomes.

His eyes opened. The brief scene was over, and he had to back up the video a little so he could watch it again. He focused as the lion straddled his mate and entered her. He stared at the haunches, so muscular, veins popping out, tightening and twitching as the lion humped the lioness.

"Thrust it in!" Gray whispered to himself. "Shove it into me deeper! More!" His speed increased. "Yes, like that! Faster!"

_Animal loving, wild, wicked, raw.  
>They say it's perverted, they say it's so wrong,<br>But I wanna feel you go wild, wanna hear you roar,  
>'Cause it's only you I want... I want... I waaaaaaant.<em>

_So do me! Please me! Take me! Consume me!  
>Ravage me in your animal lust, ooh!<br>Do me! Please me! Take me! Consume me!  
>I'll let you eat me, let me eat you, don't let me go.<em>

As he saw the lioness cry out, he moaned. The lion pulled out, and Gray closed his eyes. The problem with this documentary was that lions mated very quickly. Sure, they could mate up to forty times a day, but it lasted only a minute.

"You last a lot longer, don't you?"

He knew who he meant. In his fantasy, it was Loke behind him, grabbing his neck with those pearly white teeth, and his shaggy orange hair draping over him. It was Loke's voice in his head whispering imaginary pillow talk. Loke's nimble hands, adorned with rings like some great king, touched him, tweaked his nipple, ran down his stomach, and grabbed his butt-cheeks to spread them more. It was an intense fantasy, one that had repeated itself often since summer began.

"Yes, I bet you'd last all night long, you horny Lion," he hissed. "Go on. Fuck me hard."

_Consume me...consummate me.  
>Go fuck me, buck me, make it real rough for me.<br>Take me, but don't slack me.  
>Mark me as yours with your scent, pleeeeease.<em>

_So do me! Please me! Take me! Consume me!  
>Ravage me in your animal lust, ooh!<br>Do me! Please me! Take me! Consume me!  
>I'll let you eat me, let me eat you, don't let me go.<br>Like a lion, devour this passion, and let me blow._

Gray opened his eyes to watch the film. The lion was at it again. He groaned as he watched the lion straddle the weary lioness, haunches tensed, and the fast copulation, then the video showed a view from the front, the lion with its mouth open as if in an orgasmic roar, the lioness looking slightly over her shoulder, yowling at her mate.

Gray paused the movie lacrima and looked at the scene of raw, wild sex. He jerked off to it and to the fantasy of Leo the Lion taking him, grasping around him, stroking Gray to each thrust. His hand was moving quickly, desperate to finish now. He quickly grabbed some tissues.

"Fuck me, Loke! Fuck me all night long! Ravage me in your animal lust," he said in time to the music in his headphones.

His mouth opened, his hand was a fast blur, and he moaned loudly, no longer caring if the neighbors heard him.

"Are you gonna come? It's okay, come inside me. C-come!" He panted fast, his legs tensed, and the pit of his stomach coiled. "Oh God! Oh God! Loke! _Nnngh!_"

His imagination went wild. He heard Loke's voice roaring in orgasmic pleasure. He felt himself lose control due to the vision in his mind, the imaginary feel of pulsing heat and thick fluid filling him.

He groaned loudly at the release. Not even the handful of tissues could hold it all, and some thick, milky fluid dripped onto his belly. Gray leaned back, panting hard, weary and a bit dizzy, yet feeling better. He shut down the movie as the documentary changed to following the pregnant lioness and the birth of a tiny cub. He stowed away the lacrima quickly, as if someone might walk in and see evidence of his perversion. Then he collapsed back on his pillows and breathed deeply as exhaustion won over.

"Shit," he whispered, feeling the moist mess. "What the hell is wrong with me?" He climbed out of bed and walked slowly to the bathroom to shower off.

**End of Chapter 5**


	6. December, X784

**Chapter 6**

**December X784**

Gray felt confident Loke would be there. Somehow, he just knew. Now more than ever, he wanted to be picked for the S-Class trial, if only so he could see Loke again.

He was shocked when Loke visited his house on his own the day before the announcement. Gray had been in the middle of making dinner—naked, of course—when he heard a poof and turned around brandishing a spatula like a knife. Loke could hardly help but drop his eyes below the teen's waist.

"Caught you at a bad time?" he smirked.

Gray let his shoulders relax. "Just cooking dinner. Mira is busy with Master, so everyone in the guild is fending for themselves tonight."

"Frying chicken...naked? Doesn't that hurt? You know, when the grease pops and splashes on you?"

"Huh?" Only then did Gray notice his lack of clothes. "Dammit, when did that happen?" He grabbed a nearby apron and pulled it on quickly. There was no sign of the rest of his clothes. "What are you doing here?" he asked, already irritated that Loke saw him in such an embarrassing way after a long absence.

Loke thought seeing Gray wearing nothing but an apron was an even bigger turn-on than seeing him naked. "It's time, right? The S-Class trial."

"Yup. Do you think I have a chance?"

"Of course! Oh, but your chicken is browning too much."

Gray turned back to the frying pan and hurriedly got the meat out of the oil. Loke leaned back and enjoyed the view. Gray had such a firm, muscular ass, so cute, and with the apron ties dangling down, it was like a kitty toy begging to be pounced on. He quickly shook his head. He had to think about something else...something else..._food!_

"Do you know what would go great with this dish?" Loke grabbed jagaimo, rincon, ninjin, and a kitchen knife. With grace, he began to chop the vegetables and added them to the hot oil.

Gray stood back and watched. This was one of his fantasies, to make dinner together with Loke. He looked so sexy, cooking the food with professional skill, handling the frying pan with grace. Gray only wished he was wearing something better than this stupid apron, or if maybe Loke was also wearing nothing but an apron...

No! No, he couldn't think like that.

When Loke added the jagaimo, the oil began to pop and hiss. Some splashed out and hit Gray's bare arm. He pulled back quickly and sucked on the burning oil.

"Oh no!" Loke forgot all about cooking now and took hold of Gray's arm. "I'm so sorry. I should have eased the vegetables in instead of dumping them. Is it bad? Do you need to go to a doctor?"

"I've been burned worse arguing with Natsu," he assured.

Loke leaned over the speck of oiled skin already turning red, placed his lips over it, and gently sucked the oil off. Gray's face went red as he felt those moist lips on his skin. Then Loke's mouth parted with a light pop, and he licked over the burn to clean up any residue of oil. Gray almost gagged at the feeling of that hot tongue gliding over his arm. He could barely help but compare...a lion's tongue was scratchy, but Loke's tongue was so wonderfully smooth. Gray yanked his arm away and turned aside to hide the nether stiffness that the apron hid so poorly.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Gray snapped, wishing it was possible to mentally force an erection away.

"Caring for you," Loke smiled, amused by the reaction. "It was my fault you got hurt."

"I'm not hurt," he yelled, silently cursing the cock that had a mind of its own. "Besides, my specialty is freezing things." He put a layer of ice over the burn, then with his front side still pointed away, he held his arm out to show. "See, ice bandage. Simple fix." Stupid Lion, doing things like that! He tried to imagine something repulsive...like Makarov naked. Ugh! That alone almost cured him. "If you want to make it up to me, finish cooking dinner while I find my clothes."

Loke did not like the idea of Gray getting dressed again, but when the ice mage turned to hurry out, he saw a profile of Gray, including something poking the apron out like a stiff tent pole. It made the Lion smirk and chuckle softly.

Gray found his clothes scattered throughout the house. His shirt was in the bedroom, his pants in the bathroom, his underwear on the couch, one sock in front of the door, the other sock on the bookshelf (how in the world did it get there?) Altogether, it made a non-naked Gray, and by the time he found all the pieces, his mind had drifted away from erotic thoughts of Loke.

That is, until the Lion Spirit came out of the kitchen wearing the apron Gray had cast aside at some point in his clothing hunt, a tray in his hand, and gracefully balanced on it were a bowl, a glass, and a bottle of wine.

"Dinner is served," Loke announced as he set the tray on the low table. "Is there anything more Master Gray wishes for tonight?"

Master Gray? Wearing his suit, Gray could almost imagine Loke as a butler. He thought of things he would love to order the Spirit to do, ways Loke could _entertain_ him all night long. Then something snapped, Gray shook his head, and he forced his eyes down to the meal. "I wish I had a way to tell you if I get picked tomorrow."

"Ah, that I can help with. I brought this." Loke reached into his suit coat pocket and pulled out a golden sphere split into two halves. "Twist the sphere until you feel it click, then twist it back. It works sort of like a doorbell. I'll know in the Spirit World that you've made it, and I'll come as soon as I can."

"Awesome, but...can you cut your hair before then?"

The Lion raised an eyebrow, and it made Gray blush.

"No offense, but I...I...sort of liked it better short."

Loke snickered softly. "Not a problem. I'll visit Cancer for a trim. Enjoy the meal."

Gray looked down at the bowl of steaming food. "Thanks for the food. It looks great. Did you maybe want to join me, have a bite to...?" He looked up and saw that Loke had already disappeared back to the Spirit World. "Damn."

* * *

><p><span> <strong>December 8, X784<strong> 

The day of the announcement, Gray felt nervous. He polished his sword pendant and went to church to offer prayers for luck. He even wore a jacket with a fur-lined hood similar to the style Loke used to wear. When Makarov listed his name, he felt heated relief. They had one week to pick partners, but Gray had no need to worry. He reached into his coat pocket, found the golden sphere, gave it a twist, and smiled as he twisted it back. He was unsure how long Loke would take, so he settled in for a celebratory round of drinks with Lucy, Wendy, Lisanna, Elfman, and Juvia.

"Um...Juvia wants to forfeit the exam."

"Ehh! Why?" Wendy exclaimed.

_Good, one less rival_, Gray thought, not caring if it was mean.

"Because...I want to be...-'s partner."

Gray rolled his eyes at her. "What?" He heard her just fine, but he could hardly believe this persistent woman would even want to surrender such a huge opportunity for something so stupid. Really, she never gave up!

Lucy tugged on his coat and covered her mouth to hide the chuckles. "She wants to become your partner."

_No shit_, he thought. Hearing Juvia shriek about Lucy trying to win him over just annoyed Gray even more. Why did girls have to be so noisy?

That was when he saw the familiar silhouette enter the guild hall. Gray could hardly help but smile as he watched that noble stride. There was no more of that ridiculous fluffy mane that made Gray fantasize over lions. There was only Loke, the same Loke he had known for three years. He still wore a suit, but...well, Gray didn't mind the clothes so much. The tiger-striped tie was a bit garish, but it was also pretty damn sexy. It made Gray wonder if Loke wore matching boxers.

"Sorry, but I've already decided on my partner."

Loke smirked down at him. Gray had grown so much, and that jacket...it was certainly reminiscent. He guessed that Gray wore it for a reason.

"We made a promise last year," Gray told them. He felt smug when he heard Loke actually canceling his contract with Lucy. If she thought she owned him fully, she was wrong!

"But how will you pass for a member of the guild?" Elfman asked.

When Loke pulled down his shirt and showed everyone his green guild mark, Gray just smiled. Besides Mirajane the day he received it, perhaps no one but him had ever seen Loke's guild mark before. He was glad to know it was still there, same place, same color, just as he remembered from that day up in the mountains. Returning to his rightful place in the Spirit World did not change Loke's allegiance.

"I am still a Fairy Tail mage," Loke declared. "On the pride of the guild, I will make Gray an S-Class mage."

Gray gave him a smile. That night over a year ago flashed through his mind. It had been such a whim, asking Loke to help him, yet here they were. Partners! "I'm counting on you."

"Leave it to me." Loke looked completely sure of himself. When he smiled down at Gray, it was not the tired, sad smile the ice mage had seen so many times in the past, but bright green eyes, a devious smirk, and Loke radiated pure confidence like the shine of the stars.

Lucy turned away in a huff. "Since when have these two been so buddy-buddy?"

Gray chuckled. Jealous? After Lucy had turned Loke down over and over again, was she now upset? It was almost cute!

The rest of the candidates began to pair off. Gray watched them, calculating strengths and weaknesses. No offense to Lisanna, but she had spent two years in a world without magic. She used to be skilled, but she was out of practice. Juvia would likely fail. Elfman and Evergreen were so totally unlikely, he could almost imagine them fighting like an old married couple instead of battling enemies. Gajeel helping Levy worried him a bit.

"Gray," Loke called, pulling him away from his thoughts. "Let's go train."

He nodded and followed, ignoring Lucy's pout. Too bad for her! Loke was his now!

No, he couldn't think that way. Loke was his partner for this test, as he had promised; that was all. His owner—Gray shuddered to admit it—was Lucy. It would always be Lucy. She would always be first in Loke's heart. Gray...was just a partner.

When they got to Gray's place, things got awkward. The Ice-Make mage was unsure why he headed there instead of out to the field where he usually practiced. He just felt like getting some time alone first, a moment to reunite and talk as friends. He had hardly seen Loke at all since Lucy arrived in the guild six months ago.

"So, how's the Spirit World?"

"It's good to be back, real good," Loke smiled. "And the guild, how have things been for everyone?"

"Pretty insane, honestly. Between dark guilds and alternate universes, we've been more crazy than I can remember since I first joined." He walked over to his pantry and looked around for something to make tea. "I...We miss you. Cana mentioned that she misses having you as a drinking partner. Even Bickslow said something about wanting to have another sparring match with you." He pulled down a tin of tea. "You should visit more often."

"I'll try to from now on," Loke nodded. "Lucy doesn't call me out very often. I can open the gate using my own magic, but it's a bit of a strain."

Gray swung around with a worried look. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah, sure, I'll be good for a day or two. Hopefully the actual test doesn't take more than that."

Gray got some water boiling. "I asked Mira, and she said it's usually finished in under a day."

"Ah, then I'll be fine. By the way, how do you like the hair?"

Gray looked over his shoulder to Loke, but he quickly faced back to the tea kettle to hide the heat in his cheeks. "It looks great. A lot better, I think."

"Really? I sort of liked the whole regal lion's mane look."

Gray gulped hard. Images of mating lions flickered through his mind. He felt himself getting aroused just thinking about it.

"...but if you like it this way, then I'll keep it for a while."

"What? No! I mean, you don't have to style your hair one way or another just because of me. Style it however you like."

"I'm not the one who has to look at me all day. Besides, to be honest, this is simply the appearance I decide upon for the Human World." To show him, light swirled around Loke, and suddenly he wore a green shirt with the Leo symbol on the bottom. "You could say it's all an illusion based upon the ideals of the person I'm trying to please."

"Like what Virgo can do," Gray realized, remembering the time when the petite Maiden transformed into a huge gorilla.

"Exactly! To some extent, a Celestial Spirit's form can be based on our owner. When I come as Lucy's Spirit, I imagine myself in my old form, with the suit and hair. To be honest, she likes the 'host' look. However, for you...my years being in Fairy Tail were spent looking more casual, normal...Human."

"Oh," Gray muttered. Knowing this was only some spiritual manifestation saddened him. It made Gray realize even more potently that Loke was really Leo, the Lion Constellation.

Loke came closer and watched Gray's troubled face that he tried to hide by staring at the tea kettle. "I figured these clothes were a style you'd like. Do you?"

He glanced back quickly but looked away just as fast. "Uh, yeah. Green looks real good on you."

Loke could see the pink spreading around Gray's neck and up to his ears. He smirked as he began to figure it out. "I like your hairstyle."

"Mine? But it's the same as always."

"Is it really? I dunno, but you look good."

The tips of Gray's ears went scarlet. Loke could barely hold back from laughing.

"You've stopped growing, though. It's been a few months, and you're the same height. It's a good height."

"Same as you."

"Indeed!" Loke sneaked up beside those flame-tipped ears and whispered airily. "Just like me."

However, his words were spoken differently. Not "Just like me" as in "Exactly the same as me." Instead, those three words held a different tone.

_Just like me._

_Just love me._

_Just look around and show me how you feel._

Slowly, Gray turned away from the water beginning to steam. He gulped as he looked at Loke. "You...you're in love with Lucy."

"Says who?"

"Happy told us about it."

Loke thought back, then he chuckled. "Ah yes, the confession. Yeah, I was pretty smitten by her, but she's rejected me over and over again. Guess she has a thing for Natsu. She is beautiful, though. Even you have to admit that much."

"I guess she's...somewhat cute."

"Somewhat?" he laughed. "I've seen the way you look at her. She's a goddess! But if she's Aphrodite," and Loke moved in until his chest was up against Gray's, "then you're Adonis."

"There's no Greek god of ice, is there?"

"Afraid not," he smiled. "And I wouldn't call a grown man like you Cupid, so let's drop the deities. You're Gray, and you...are exactly the type of man I like."

"Like?" Gray laughed nervously. "Since when did the playboy of Fairy Tail become homosexual?"

"Pansexual, actually," the Lion corrected. "Women, men, women who used to be men, Celestial Spirits, anthropomorphic people: I don't discriminate against anyone. That way I'm free to be attracted to anyone who interests me...and you, Gray, have interested me for a long time."

He began to lean forward. Gray's breath caught as he watched Loke's mouth. He wasn't going to...was he? Gray hoped he was. If this was nothing more than a joke, someone was going to get their testicles frozen off!

Loke's eyes lowered behind his shades, and he lazily watched the teen's panicked acceptance as their lips met. Gray's mouth was cold, but it tingled Loke's lips, as if urging him to warm up this frozen kiss. He grabbed tighter and deepened the kiss.

Gray had never known a kiss could be so warm. He had dreamed about kissing the Lion, what it might be like if his hopes of having Loke living as a roommate might somehow come true. He had wild fantasies about their relationship deepening, until one drunken night when a single event would lead to something more, a touch, a kiss, inebriated groping, drunken sex, waking up with a hangover, confused, shocked to see one another naked in bed, yet slowly realizing they actually liked it. It was a possibility after all, right?

He was not prepared for just how sweet it could be, and Gray hummed heatedly. It startled himself, and he almost pulled away. Loke grabbed the back of Gray's head and pulled him in tighter.

"Don't fight me," he said right over those icy lips.

Gray felt a jolting shock. He had figured Loke was devotedly heterosexual, considering his penchant for flirting with every girl who walked into the guild hall. He thought he would have to get Loke drunk to win him over. Could it be that all these months when Gray was waiting to make his move, Loke was just waiting for him?

Gray gave up on thoughts of protesting or pulling away so he could gather his thoughts. He let the kiss flood away all logic and float him down a river of ecstasy. He hummed a moan and felt Loke smiling within his kiss. When he felt soft moisture on his lips, Gray opened his mouth, and Loke's taste plunged into him. That smooth tongue played within his mouth, searching it out, caressing his own tongue as if to encourage him to do some exploring of his own. Gray was left too overwhelmed to think. Instinct alone drove him on.

Loke could have purred when he felt Gray responding to his touches. The ice mage's tongue tasted wintry, like cinnamon and mint and fresh-baked pie all mixed together. If a person could drink Christmas in a glass, it would taste like Gray.

Loke thought back. How long had it been since he had fallen in love with a man? A century? Maybe three? It was rare, he had to admit that. Women were easy to love and lose, but men...affairs with men simply lasted for him. It took more time for Loke to decide if his intended beau swung that way, so the entire process was approached more slowly. Because of that, it was usually a deeper relationship before even the first kiss. Relationships like this were always worth the wait.

He had his eyes on Gray since that day in the mountains over a year ago. He could never be certain with the guy, though. Sometimes Gray was a dead ringer for being gay, and other times he looked at Lucy or Cana a little too long. That was when Loke figured out that Gray must be bisexual. It worked out just fine.

By the timidity of the kiss, Loke realized he must be dealing with someone who had not yet experienced a male-male relationship. He wanted to take it slow, but when he heard Gray moan, he just about lost it. He pulled that cold body in closer, refusing to give him up even when the teen tried to pull back.

Yet he knew he should not scare Gray away. He had to stop this.

He had to!

He certainly did not want to!

When Gray grabbed Loke's belt loops and pulled his hips in closer, the Lion wondered if he should even bother playing the mature one. Why not let the kid take control of the pace? So Loke followed Gray's lead.

When Gray leaned against the kitchen sink, Loke pressed him up against it, thrusting his pelvis a little and earning a moan. When Gray leaned his neck back, Loke licked up the vein that throbbed at his throat, then latched on, not sucking too hard, but enough to get a faint pink mark and make Gray shiver in his arms. When the ice mage seemed uncertain what he should—or could—do next, Loke only did enough to give him a hint. He liked the idea of teaching this teen everything he knew, "training" him not only to be an S-Class mage, but to be a great lover.

Suddenly, Loke jolted away with eyes wide behind his shades. Gray looked concerned, but Loke groaned in miserable reluctance.

"It's Lucy. She's trying to call for me."

"Can't you ignore her?" Gray whined, grabbing hold of Loke a little tighter.

"I could. I'm out on my own magic so she has no direct control over me, but if she's truly in trouble..."

He looked to Gray, silently asking him what he should do. Just then, the tea kettle began to whistle. Gray felt the magic seep out of the moment. Damn that blonde!

Gray maneuvered away from the kitchen sink and back to the stove to take the kettle off and try to regain his senses. After a moment, he heard Loke make a slight grunt again. He looked back to see the Lion resisting what was probably another attempt to open his gate. Gray realized there was no point delaying him.

"Go to her," he said, waving him on. "If she really is in trouble, then your key is in trouble, and that means you are. If she just wants to bitch and moan, give that girl a good spanking."

Loke laughed, and for a moment it looked like he might really enjoy doing that. "I'll be back to help," he promised.

"Sure. I'll be in the north field near the solitary fir tree."

"Your usual training place," Loke nodded. "I'll see you there."

Gray wondered how Loke knew where he trained, unless the Celestial Spirit had been watching him work out, following him out there, staring at him unseen...stalking him like a wild animal.

Loke leaned forward and gave Gray a soft peck. "Tell me," he whispered, "was that your first kiss?"

Gray's face went hot. He swallowed hard to get the hitch out of his throat. "First with a guy," he eked out.

Loke looked amused. "Really?" He placed his mouth right against Gray's ear and breathed in hotly, "You kiss _very_ good."

He watched the ear turn pinker than Natsu's hair. He chuckled at the flustered embarrassment in Gray's face, gave him a sly wink, then he vanished.

Gray reached up, touched his lips, and smiled as he thought to himself...this was totally worth the wait!

* * *

><p><span> <strong>Later That Day<strong> 

Gray sat alone in the guild hall, lost in thoughts that left him smiling. He was wearing one of his turtleneck shirts. Not too weird in winter, but Mirajane spotted a pink mark on Gray's neck. She decided to keep quiet about it and hummed happily as she wiped glasses.

Lucy suddenly stormed into the guild, stomped up to Gray, and slapped him across the face. Juvia was there in an instant, looking inflamed but also curious if maybe her precious Gray-sama had finally rejected this intrusive blonde.

"What the hell was that for?" Gray yelled, holding his cheek. Damn, girls sure could slap hard!

"For that spanking."

"_What!_" Juvia roared.

Mirajane tittered. "Why Gray, you little ice devil!"

"I never touched you," Gray insisted, hoping both blue- and white-haired girls would shut up.

"Loke told me you told him to spank me."

"I...that's...I only said...ah shit," he grumbled, realizing there was no easy way to get out of this one.

**End of Chapter 6**

* * *

><p><em>AN: The tiger-striped tie was in the manga. The anime had him wear a plain red tie. Boring! Also in the manga, the coat Gray wears in chapters 201 and 202 looks identical to how Hiro-sensei drew Loke's coat, but the style was changed in the anime. I liked Loke's green shirt in the anime better. Yes, I'm mixing and matching to my personal tastes. Why? Because I'M THE AUTHOR AND I SAY SO!_

_I got the term "Christmas in a Glass" from a shot drink my best friend ordered for me while I was on vacation. Blackberry puree, peach puree, spiced chai, and vodka. It tasted insanely good...like Gray!_


	7. December 15, X784

_A/N: Gray and Loke's fight against Wendy and Mest is anime-only. It's a good fight scene and funny. Go watch!  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

**December 15, X784, Tenrou Island**

Loke and Gray had just defeated Mest and mentally terrorized Wendy enough to make sure she could no longer fight. They had silently agreed not to actually attack the small girl, but "torture" her with their Secret Technique: Double Dried Plum Attack. However, now Gray had to stop with a severe stomach ache.

"I am never eating another umeboshi again," he groaned, curled over and holding his stomach in pain.

Loke let him sit and lean against his shoulder. As the moans got louder, the Lion Spirit began to stroke Gray's raven hair, worried for him but unsure what he could do. Suddenly, Gray jumped up, ran into the bushes, and was gone for a long time. Loke waited patiently, looking away and trying not to listen to the gastrointestinal troubles. When Gray finally returned, he looked sickly pale, but at least he was not grabbing his gut. He collapsed next to Loke, and the Spirit guided that dark head down to his lap.

"We can rest," he said gently. "The others had hard opponents to fight, so we can afford to take a little break. Gather your strength for the next trial."

Gray felt comfortable on Loke's lap. He did not want to move at all. Unconsciously, he began to strip again. Loke did not complain at all. He would have helped the ice mage, but he seemed quite adept at doing that by himself. Soon, both Gray's purple shirt and black pants were removed until he was stripped down to just boxers.

"Loke," he muttered, staring blankly at the sky. "Do you really think I could be S-Class?"

"Absolutely," he said loyally.

"I dunno," he pouted. "I think of Mira and Laxus and Mystogan and Erza, and especially Gildarts! Compared to them, I'm weak. How could I claim to be in the same class as Erza?"

Loke laid Gray's head down on the ground, crawled on top of him, and stared straight down into his face. "You're definitely strong enough, Gray. You have been for a while. Now you're mature enough, too. This past year, you've grown an insane amount. Plus you have me here. I made a promise to help you become S-Class. A Celestial Spirit keeps his promises."

Gray's eyes softened at the confident words. "Right. We're both a lot stronger than last year."

"Indeed," Loke smiled. "We've both grown a lot."

Gray had certainly grown, matured, became powerful, and managed to banish his private demons. Loke smiled down at the teen; he could barely help but lean over and give him a kiss.

This time, Gray gladly received it and hummed without feeling embarrassed. His fingers stretched out, ran through Loke's ginger hair, grasped it slightly, and pulled him in to urge him to deepen the kiss.

Loke's tongue languidly played with Gray's. His hands roamed up the taut hills and vales of abdominal muscles. His magic rings clinked against Gray's sword pendant as he blindly followed the metal chain to find the back of Gray's neck. From there, Loke began to rake his nails gently over Gray's skin, searching for areas of sensitivity. He knew he hit one of those erogenous zones when Gray made a quiet gasp and his back arched a little. It made Loke smile, and he stroked one area that almost always worked, just behind the ear. The ice mage shivered, and his hands grasped at Loke's shoulders.

Loke kissed Gray's cheek, then his ear, then the first spot on the neck that had elicited a gasp. He sucked softly there, not enough to leave a mark, not with Gray's penchant for stripping, but just enough to make the teen hiss air between his teeth. Pressed up against him, Loke felt the reaction in Gray's boxers. His kisses went lower, a nip to the collarbone, a lick to trace his guild mark, then Loke hummed with delight and cautiously licked Gray's nipple, watching to see if Gray was the sort of guy who liked that.

"Whoa!" he said, and the ice mage looked in debate.

"Should I stop?" Loke asked.

"No, just...sorry," he laughed uncomfortably. "I guess I'm not all that experienced."

"You're doing fine," the Lion said in a soft purr, caressing Gray's body to relax him. "Just react in whatever way seems natural. It's usually the right thing to do." He licked again, giving the tensing tit a little encircling tongue before sucking softly.

"Ahh!" Gray keened. His back arched, and he felt the uncomfortable tightness in his boxer shorts. "What comes natural, huh?"

Loke leaned up to smile and hint at what should come next. Just then, he was honestly shocked to see that Gray had managed to remove the last of his clothes. "When did that happen?" he gawked.

"I ask myself that every day," Gray chuckled. "It's _natural_, I guess."

Loke was much slower at pulling off his green teeshirt and khakis, but he kept his tiger-print boxers on for the moment. He was too distracted by Gray's erection. His eyes were wild, his grin turned feral, and he crouched lower like a cat ready to spring onto a catnip toy. Instead, Loke took hold of the shaft and gave it a slow stroke.

Gray tightened his lips to keep from moaning, but a stiff grunt still escaped. He wanted to watch the animal-like gleam in Loke's fascinated irises, and he also wanted to close his eyes to feel everything, focus solely on the attention being given to him.

"Can I lick it?" Loke asked softly.

His seductive voice made Gray tremble. Breathing too fast to speak, he merely nodded.

Loke settled between Gray's legs, leaned over, and stuck the tip of his tongue out. Gray boosted himself up onto his elbows to watch. Loke's eyes turned up to him, glancing above the rim of his sunglasses. The gaze sent a shiver down Gray unlike any winter blizzard could do. Then that chill was replaced by a burning hot and moist tongue licking around the flared head, twirling it, lapping away the pearly drop on top, before the whole mouth devoured him.

Gray leaned back and moaned loudly, then covered his mouth to quiet himself. If any of the other mages came by right then...he suddenly realized they were in the open, just trees and blue sky above. He was never really concerned about being naked in public, but doing this where others could see made him blush with nervousness.

Loke was lost in a world of pleasure. Gray still had that coconut smell, even down to the wiry curled hair that tickled Loke's nose every time he went down to the hilt. Gray's poorly suppressed moans urged him on. He glanced up again and saw Gray flushed with shame. He wanted Gray to relax, to forget everything and simply take pleasure, yet seeing him cutely embarrassed was also arousing.

Loke decided he had to break these barriers down quickly. He reached up, grabbed the hand Gray used to cover his mouth, and placed it on his orange hair. The ice mage looked down in confusion. Loke popped the cock out of his mouth so he could explain.

"If you like it, pet me. Let me know if I'm doing it right."

Gray nodded in understanding. Then Loke went down on him again. Gray used the other hand to cover his mouth, until Loke grabbed it too and yanked it to the side. He popped his mouth free again.

"I need to hear you, Gray. Everyone else is busy fighting. No one will hear us, so be as loud as you want. It sounds really sexy, and I wanna hear."

Then to force the issue, Loke thrust his mouth down onto Gray and sucked him hard until his cheeks hollowed. Gray's back arched high, his mouth opened wide, and a loud cry shuddered out. The hand on Loke's head grabbed at his orange hair and thrust him down even harder until the cock slipped deeper into his throat. Loke relaxed and took it in.

"Oh fuck!" Gray moaned, feeling the tightness in the throat. He wanted to thrust in deeper, but he heard Loke gag a little. "That...real good," he said, too overwhelmed to make a coherent sentence.

Loke began to bob on him more. He listened to the moans and huffs. Gray stroked the orange hair sometimes, and when Loke did something different, Gray pulled at the hair until his body got used to the new wonderful sensation. Loke loved the feel, the taste, the pleasure he could give. He began to purr.

"Ahh!" Gray cried out at the vibration. "Loke...that..._nnnngh!_"

He felt Gray's thighs tightening and realized he was going too fast. Loke moved his head up, trailing saliva and precum from his lower lip, so he could gaze at his naked ice mage lovingly.

"You're not playing fair," Gray grumbled.

Loke tilted his head curiously. "The purring? It's a natural reaction to pleasure."

"I mean staying dressed, hiding yourself from me. Or are you afraid it's too small?" he smirked slyly.

Loke had to laugh at his goading. "More like I might scare you away. But if you want to see it..." He presented two fingers close to Gray's mouth.

The teen arched an eyebrow at him. "Uh...what?"

"Suck on them," Loke instructed, smiling expectantly.

Gray opened his mouth and was about to obey, yet he paused suspiciously. "Why?"

Loke chuckled. Such a virgin! "Why do you think?"

"I honestly have no clue. Just a quirk of yours?"

Loke knew not to tease Gray or laugh too much. After all, he was dealing with a truly innocent young man. "It's so I can prep you. You know, down here." The two waiting fingers went down behind Gray's balls to the small entrance.

"Whoa!" Gray jolted at the light touch. "I...that is..."

"Too fast?" Loke asked, trying but not succeeding at hiding his disappointment. "Or did you want to be on top?"

"Maybe...I don't know really," Gray squirmed, "but mostly it's just...I sorta...still don't feel too well," he admitted bashfully. "I'm really sorry, but the last thing I want is to be in the middle of doing _that_ and suddenly having to rush into the bushes again."

Loke realized he was right, and it was probably inconsiderate to offer without thinking that Gray might still be ill. He pulled back and breathed slowly to calm down his excitement. "It might be a bad idea anyway," he muttered. "It's your first time, it'll hurt, we don't have lube, and we still have to finish this test."

"Afterward," Gray blurted out, then blushed and looked aside. "When we're back in Magnolia, maybe then. So long as I'm not still sick to my stomach."

"A good celebration to mark you being Fairy Tail's newest S-Class mage," Loke smiled with confidence. Gray smiled at his assurance. It made him feel better. Loke rose while Gray reluctantly rolled into a sitting position and leaned against a tree.

Damn his hormones! _Think of naked Makarov! Think of naked Porlyusica!_

It didn't work, because Loke crawled right up into Gray's lap and sat there straddled like a content kitten. "Did you like what I was doing?"

Gray swallowed hard and nodded.

"Do you want me to finish you up?"

He opened his mouth, closed it as he could not find anything to say, then he looked aside. "Of course I do, but...but I also want to do something for you."

"There's an easy solution."

Loke lowered his tiger-stripped boxers and placed them to the side. Gray gawked down at the stiff mast.

_No wonder he said he was worried about scaring me away! He's a **lion**!  
><em>

Loke took Gray's hand and placed it onto him, moving the fingers into a stroking motion to show him what he wanted. "Do it just like you do to yourself. You _have_ done at least _that_, right?" he smirked.

"I...well...yeah," Gray blushed.

"Have you ever done it imagining me?"

Gray really turned red now. "I don't want to talk about my masturbating habits."

Loke chuckled softly, then took Gray's cock and gave it a slow stroke. It was still wet from his mouth, and his fingers moved over it smoothly. "I'll do to you whatever you do to me. Whatever you like, whatever you want to feel, do it to me."

Gray leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and thought about the times he had jacked off to thoughts of Loke. Now here he was! He squeezed a little tighter; a moment later he felt the same squeeze, but the rings Loke wore gave a cool hardness to his hands. He glided up and down Loke's shaft and felt the same pace on himself. When he opened his eyes, Loke's lids were hooded in pleasure, yet he continued to watch Gray's face, inspecting the twitches his mouth made, the squinting of his eyes when he liked something, the tenseness in his mouth as he fought against being too loud.

"I like to stroke you, Gray," Loke whispered hotly.

His voice was like velvet and made Gray react stronger. "Loke," he moaned, and his hand went faster.

"I like touching you," Loke kept on in a seductive tone. "Do you want me to touch you more?"

"Nnnngh," he groaned, feeling himself getting close.

Loke kissed him, plunged his tongue in for a moment, then trailed kisses down his throat. When he got to Gray's chest, he licked his nipple, then gave it a soft bite.

"Ahh!" Gray shouted. The stroking pace went furious. "On my neck!"

Loke raised up and looked confusion.

"Bite...on my neck." He tilted his head to the side to give Loke access.

"Like a lion?" Loke questioned in amusement. "I think I now know what you fantasize to. I'll let you know," and he breathed into Gray's ear, "I last much longer than a lion."

He leaned over and gently took the side of Gray's neck with his teeth. His cock rubbed up against Gray's cock until he felt the hard heat. He moved Gray's cock closer, so that they were stroking each other off while frotting.

"Loke," Gray warned, struggling to hold back but losing the fight. "I...I'm gonna..." His body tensed.

"Come for me, Gray," Loke urged, and he sped up his hand. "Spray it all over me."

His words and the heat of his hand sent Gray over the edge. He stiffened, and he felt the release like a throbbing of pure pleasure. A moment later, Loke bit his neck harder and moaned loudly with distorted cussing. Gray opened his eyes just in time to see a splash of white explode onto his chest.

Loke loosened his bite, panted hard, but inspected Gray's neck. A few questionable marks, but perhaps they could brush it off as injuries due to fighting. Then he leaned up and smiled at Gray's exhausted face. "You're pretty damn good."

Gray's eyes were closed in weariness, but he still managed to smile. "You too. We're messy now."

"There's a stream nearby. Let me wash you up."

Gray began to move but sank back down with a happy hum. "Too tired to get up."

"Oh, come on," Loke chuckled. "A bath with you would be fun."

He got to his feet, held his hands out to Gray, and eased the teen to his feet. A stream trickled nearby, icy cold but enough fresh water so they could wash the oozing mess off their bodies. Loke got in plenty of erotic rubbing as he cleaned the semen off Gray's chest. They laid out on the grass in the tropical sun to dry off, wearing only their boxers. Gray held Loke on his chest, stroking his ginger hair lazily, occasionally gliding his hand down the warm skin.

"Hey Gray," Loke muttered sleepily.

"Don't fall asleep on me," he warned lightly.

"You don't mind, do you?"

Gray looked down in surprise. "Did it seem like I _minded_? Hell no!"

"Okay," Loke said, feeling a little relieved. "And me being a Celestial Spirit, not a Human, you don't mind that either?"

"Why should I?" he asked. "You feel just like I do. You experience emotions like I do. You come all over my chest..."

"Great example," he snickered. "But I also don't age."

"Not a problem. My worry would be if you'd still want me as I get old."

"Age means little to a Spirit."

Loke suddenly sat up, straddled Gray's lap, pinned him against the tree, and gave him a rough kiss. Gray panicked for a moment. Did he already want more? Gray was worn out, his stomach still felt questionable, and they needed to continue with the test.

Glaring territorially, Loke growled, "I claim you, Gray."

The ice mage shivered at the dead serious look in the shaded green eyes. "Huh?"

"I'm the Spirit of the Lion, and I claim you as my mate." He stared hard as he said it, hoping to convey just how utterly serious he was about this declaration. Rarely did he tell anyone, male or female, such words of fidelity, but he felt a keen sense of possessiveness over Gray. He did not want to lose him, not to Lucy, not to Juvia, not to anyone else who might try to steal him.

"Oh...okay," Gray said awkwardly. "Is that your way of saying we're dating?"

Dating! Loke thought of it as so much more. "More like 'going steady,' if people still use such an antiquated phrase. You can't flirt with anyone else, and in exchange, I won't flirt with anyone but you."

"You'd really give up flirting?" he asked dubiously.

"Well, I might slip in a few to Lucy just so she doesn't guess too quickly," he admitted with a nonchalant shrug, "but I won't be serious about anyone but you, my oath as Leader of the Ecliptic Zodiac Spirits."

Gray was honestly stunned. "Well, there's no one else I'm really interested in at the moment anyway so...yeah, sure. Going steady, huh?" He rather liked the idea.

Loke climbed off his lap, searched around for their clothes, and helped Gray to put on his shirt. Gray returned the favor by tugging the green teeshirt over Loke's head and straightening out his spiky hair.

"Ready to finish this test?"

"Absolutely..._partner!_"

Both men smiled as they realized that term was beginning to mean so much more.

**End of Chapter 7**

* * *

><p><em>AN: Soon after this, Grimoire Heart attacked Fairy Tail. Loke was severely injured by Caprico in order to exorcise Zoldeo and had to return to the Spirit World. And then...Tenrou Island disappeared._


	8. New Year's Day, X785

**Chapter 8**

**New Year's Day, X785, Magnolia**

"What do you mean, _they're all gone_?"

Macao wiped away a tear. "I'm sorry, Loke. We've searched and searched for weeks. Everyone in Fiore has been searching for them. Even the Magic Council sent a fleet of ships to scour the area. They just aren't..."

"They're alive," Loke yelled. Other members of Fairy Tail slouching sadly in the guild hall looked over mournfully at his shout. "They are definitely alive. If Lucy was dead, I would have felt our contract break. I'm still her Spirit, I still feel the bond to her, so she's definitely alive."

"If she is," Macao sighed, "we can't find a trace of her. Or it might be due to that black dragon people are whispering about. Maybe when it obliterated Tenrou Island, your Key was destroyed, leaving you..."

"No!" Loke shouted, punching the table so hard it splintered in half, sending beer mugs tumbling. "It doesn't work that way. Don't guess at things you know nothing about."

Macao just shook his head. He looked over to Wakaba, but his old friend shrugged, unsure what to advise. They were still fighting denial as well. They wanted to believe...so much! It had only been two weeks, after all. There was always a chance.

Romeo walked up and tugged on his father's sleeve. "If Lucy is alive, the others must be too, right? Maybe if we just search again..."

"Of course, you're right," Macao smiled broadly, but his son did not smile back. "We'll look around some more. And we'll keep on looking. We can't give up hope yet. Loke, please come with us. If you can sense Lucy, then maybe it will help."

"I'll do what I can," Loke promised.

* * *

><p>They left early the next morning and sailed south, leaving behind the cold January chill for tropical weather that had the mages stripping out of their clothes and panting hotly. Loke stood on the prow of Fairy Tail's ship in his full suit, too worried to be affected by the heat. He stared over the water, searching everywhere, his face tense as it wavered between worry and hope. He even removed his sunglasses to squint out over the sparkling blue sea.<p>

Magic Council ships were everywhere, using magical means to search the area. Above, Blue Pegasus' magic bomber _Christina_ searched from the sky. He saw ships with sails bearing the mark of numerous guilds: Lamia Scale, Quatro Cerberus, Titan Nose, Sabertooth, and others Loke did not immediately recognize. Even common fishermen were out in their boats, searching the surrounding area for numerous leagues. Some of the less optimistic ones had their nets out, catching a lot of shattered bits of wood but so far no bodies.

As Loke watched the frenzied activity, he realized with a bittersweet feeling of pride that the disappearance of Fairy Tail's core members had brought together Fiore's entire magic community. They had not just been abandoned. Everyone worried for them.

He called Lucy's name. He called for Gray. He closed his eyes and tried to reach out, sense her, just as he sometimes could sense when she was in trouble. When that did not work, he cried out for them until he went hoarse. Behind him, the guild members who came along shook their heads. The momentary hope in Romeo's eyes faded.

"_Lucyyyyy!_" he roared. His voice carried over the water in a plaintive reverberation. He knew she was alive; he felt his bond with her. So where could she be? What happened to everyone?

A Magic Council ship sailed over to them and came to a halt to block their small ship, as if worried they might try to make a run for it. Loke recognized one person instantly.

"You!" he sneered. "Mest...no, not Mest. That was the name you made us believe. Who are you really?"

The dark-haired man with scars on the side of his face gave a small bow. "My name is Doranbolt. I apologize for deceiving you, Loke...or should I say, Leo the Lion?"

"I answer to either name," Loke said bitterly.

"I recognized you on this vessel, although you looked a little different during the S-Class Trial. By orders of the Magic Council, I am to bring you in for questioning regarding the incident on Tenrou Island."

"I'm a Celestial Spirit. I don't answer to the Magic Council," Loke said haughtily.

"You are also a member of Fairy Tail," Doranbolt said coldly. "You fall under our jurisdiction."

Loke faced off with him in a battle of cold stares. Behind him, the rest of Fairy Tail held their breaths, hoping Loke did not do anything that would get them into even more trouble. Finally, Loke shouted over to the other ship. "I know no more than you do. Shortly after Gray and I _defeated_ you and Wendy..." He felt smug emphasizing that. "...I battled one of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin of Purgatory." Loke realized he should not mention Capricorn. It was too difficult to explain to someone not used to Celestial Spirits. "I was severely injured and had to return to the Spirit World. When I attempted to come back, it was to this: an empty ocean. I only know what Macao has told me, which he learned from you. So I only know what you deemed appropriate to tell us."

"Is that so?" Doranbolt frowned. "Do you know if the Celestial Spirit Mage Lucy Heartfilia called out any other Spirits?"

Again, Loke decided that explaining Capricorn was dangerous. "How should I know? There is a Silver Key Spirit, Crux, who knows all about the activities of every Spirit. If you can find another Spirit Mage with one of those Silver Keys, maybe he'll tell you."

"I see. That could be helpful. Is there anything else, Celestial Spirit Leo?"

"Yes. She's alive," he said without any doubt. "I still feel my bond to Lucy, so she's definitely alive."

"For your sake, I hope so. Miss Heartfilia seemed like a good owner. However, one more question to you in particular. Since there are only twelve Gold Keys in the world, and Lucy Heartfilia owns the majority of them, certain Celestial Mages associated with the Magic Council were wondering what will become of you and your fellow Zodiac Spirits."

Loke glared venomously, as if this traitorous man was already trying to steal him away from Lucy and the rest of Fairy Tail. "Sorry, but our contracts are good unless our owner is defeated or dead. All of us owned by Lucy still have a contract with her. Humans cannot forcefully break that bond. Even if Lucy has disappeared, we still belong to her."

"And if she never returns?"

Loke growled and looked ready to pounce up to the massive ship. Alzack put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. Loke looked back at him, let out a frustrated sigh, then glared up at Doranbolt. "If Lucy doesn't return, nor shall we. A few of us are strong enough to open our own gates, but most Spirits are not. If Lucy vanishes from Earthland, we Spirits will also not be around. Perhaps that will be extra incentive for the Magic Council to search for them."

"Believe me, Leo, we have plenty of reasons to hunt them down, and not merely because one or two people want to use the Spirit World's power. We will try our best. Good day to you." Then with a hand signal, the ship's sail puffed out full and the vessel moved on.

"Hunt them down?" Loke sneered quietly.

Macao finally stepped forward and explained, "They think Fairy Tail has something to do with Zeref and Acnologia. The rest of us might have ended up arrested, except none of us were ever S-Class, nor have any of us, not even me, ever set foot on Tenrou Island."

"At least they're helping," Bisca pouted. "Even if their reason is horrible."

Jet frowned. "But even if we find them, Levy and the rest could end up in serious trouble."

"_Levy!_" Droy cried out loudly, then sniffled. "It makes me so sad, I feel like drowning my sorrows away in food."

Loke's head dropped. "I never should have left them."

He wished he had been with them in the last moment. Maybe something different would have happened if he was there to fight Hades and Acnologia. Maybe he could have made a difference, could have saved them, or at least he would be wherever they were now.

Why had he left Gray's side? He abandoned Gray! And now...

Now Gray was gone.

"I feel her," he gnashed, nearly mad with frustration. "I feel Lucy's presence, so where are they? They should be right there." He pointed a finger to the center of the search, where Tenrou Island once stood. "Where...Where are you?" His voice dropped even lower. "Gray. You _can't_ be gone!"

He looked around as if he could see a lingering ghost or hear a whispering voice from beyond the physical world.

Physical world?

"Could it be possible?" he wondered. He twirled back around to Macao and the others. "I'm going to search the Spirit World. I also have some friends in other dimensions. It'll take me a few days, but I'm not giving up. You shouldn't either. I know at least Lucy is alive, so the others probably are too. See if anyone can get a message to Edolas. Maybe they were blasted there again. Don't give up hope." Then he vanished.

Back in the Spirit World, Loke suddenly realized something. "Oh crap! I told them it'll only take a few days but...a week for me is two years for them!"

**End of Chapter 8**

* * *

><p><em>AN: Don't blame me that this was a short chapter. It just managed to work out this way. It's not the size that counts anyway, right? _^_^_ All angst, no lemon, but I will make up for that next chapter._

_Why is a week to Loke two years to Humans? We learned in Chapter 262, one day in the Spirit World is three months in Earthland.  
><em>


	9. X791, Magnolia

**Chapter 9**

**X791, Magnolia**

Loke ran through the streets of Magnolia. He panted as he searched desperately. He could probably wait for Gray at his old home, but there was no certainty that Gray still lived there, or where he might be. Then he saw the ice mage up on a roof with a rather good looking white-haired man. Loke glared in jealousy, except Gray looked shocked and disturbed. Loke leaped up onto the rooftop and knelt beside the two.

"Loke!" Gray said in surprise.

"Plue told me Lucy was back, which means you are too." He glared again at the other man. "Who's this?"

"My old senpai, Lyon. He was telling me some news...some rather _surprising_ news," Gray said darkly, his brow tightening. He quickly tried to banish the troublesome report his fellow Ice Make mage had given to him. "Lyon, I'll talk to you more about this later."

"It's really all I had to say," Lyon shrugged, scooping up the shirt he had unconsciously discarded. "Take that information however you like. Tell Erza Scarlet if you want. She'll probably want to know. Well, I'm off to find that blue-haired beauty." He jumped off the roof and headed back toward Fairy Tail's guild hall.

"Blue hair? Levy?" Loke asked in confusion.

"Juvia," Gray moaned. He knew Lyon was not the most logical man, but Gray had at least thought he had decent tastes.

"That rain-woman who's always all over you? She can have him!" Then, without warning, Loke lurched forward and gave Gray a kiss.

He panicked a little, being out in public like this, and struggled to get away. "You can't just kiss me like that!" Gray yelled, and his voice threatened to crack at the tension.

"Gray," Loke said seriously, "it's been seven agonizing years, searching every realm and dimension I could gain access to. Do you really think I can wait until we're in private to kiss you?"

"Well, be a little more mindful," Gray grumbled. "I don't want the guild to know yet."

"Ah, I see." Loke knew not to feel disappointed that Gray wanted to hide the truth, it was common in relationships like this, but it still hurt a little. He looked at Gray, wondering if maybe he had decided he did not like their relationship anymore. Instead, he saw confusion and a troubled expression. "What's wrong?"

"What isn't wrong?" Gray sighed. "I just lost seven years of my life, except...except I haven't grown at all. Everyone around me is older, stronger."

"I'm not. Well, maybe a little stronger, but I didn't age at all."

Gray had to smile. "That's true. Seeing Lyon...I mean, he was always my senpai, but now he's so much older than me. And Bisca and Alzack, they're married with a kid. Macao went all old and gray. But you..." He smiled up to Loke. "Being around you, I can almost imagine that nothing happened."

Loke sat beside Gray so that their legs were touching. "Then maybe we need to hang out more. Do you remember what I told you after the first stage of the trial?"

Gray gulped hard. "That you wanted to claim me?"

Loke nodded, and his fingers brushed against Gray's arm. "I meant it. I haven't been with anyone. I've been waiting seven years for the promise we made."

Gray blushed brightly as he locked his fingers around Loke's hand. "That when we'd get back to Magnolia, we'd...we'd..." He did not dare say the rest out loud in public. Still, to wait seven years for that! It made Gray feel warm in side to realize that, for how much of a playboy he had been before, Loke could be intensely loyal when he wanted to be.

"Do you still want to?" the Lion asked worriedly.

"Why wouldn't I?"

Loke stared at him. Exactly the same! Not a single thing had changed about Gray. He even still had a faint bruise from the hickey Loke had given him on Tenrou Island.

"Of course," he chuckled, answering both himself and Gray. "To you, it's only been a few days."

"There's a problem though," Gray frowned. "My apartment is gone. So are all my things. Some of it was trunked away and stored in the guild, but most of it was sold."

Loke hummed at this misfortune. "I still have money from when I was doing jobs. I don't need it. I'll buy you new clothes and furniture, and I'll help you get a new apartment. For tonight, a hotel will have to suffice. I know just the one!"

It took less than an hour. The street was empty at this time of the day. Looking around at the shabby conditions and questionable eateries, Gray guessed it was the sort of district that got busy at night and for all the wrong reasons. The hotel they came to also had a questionable name:

Inn Heat. With a heart at the end.

"A love hotel?" Gray cried out as he cringed away.

"I prefer to call it a 'boutique hotel.' It's affordable, it's clean, and they have overnight rates."

Gray looked around the street again and determined no one was around to see them. He slipped into the hotel feeling hot and ashamed. He had never set foot in an establishment like this before, but Loke took care of everything. The key was slipped to them from a silent person behind a frosted pane of glass, and Loke took Gray's hand to lead him upstairs. He unlocked the door and turned to his nervous partner. Gray looked reluctant to step inside, like a wild beast dreading a cage.

"Shall I carry you over the threshold, my dear?" Loke teased.

"Fuck no!" Gray snapped. "Don't you dare start treating me like a woman or I will seriously kick your ass so hard you'll have to sit in the Spirit World for a month to recover." Then he stomped inside.

Loke chuckled that the ice mage was so easy to manipulate. He followed Gray inside with a predatory gleam in his eyes.

Gray stepped into a spacious room with mirrors on the walls and ceiling. The bed was large and firm, a large private spa graced one corner, and a movie lacrima was set up by one wall. Gray gawked as he stared at the posh room.

"Sit, relax, help yourself to drinks. It's all on me tonight."

Gray swallowed hard. All...on...Loke?

He sat stiffly on the bed and watched Loke walk around, nonchalantly removing his jacket, fixing a couple glasses of some golden colored alcohol, then taking off his tie and undoing the first button of his shirt. He removed his sunglasses and laid them beside his tie on a nightstand. Then he sat beside Gray and smiled casually.

"Try some."

He handed one of the lowball glasses to the young mage. Gray looked at it, swirled it until the ice clinked together, then took a sip. He coughed and sputtered at the strong drink. It made Loke chuckle. The sophisticated Spirit sipped his drink and smiled pleasantly. Gray glared at the vile liquid, but he decided to try a little more, if only to take an edge off his nerves.

The ice mage muttered, "I figured you'd pounce on me the second the door shut."

"I considered it," Loke admitted. "You seemed too tense. It's no fun that way."

Gray took another gulp. The alcohol was warming him up inside better than any meditation Ur had taught him for withstanding the cold. Loke leaned over behind the bed to a console that controlled the lacrima in the room. Music turned on, the lights dimmed, and the heat in the room rose slightly. Gray began to relax to the idea of being in this hotel room with Loke, and he smiled at thinking about what he wanted to do.

"Hey Loke." Finally he stretched his hand out and caressed the top of the Lion's fingers. "This time, do you think we could—you know—let me be on top?" He looked aside in shame. "I'm just not sure I'm ready to try it _that way_."

Loke's green eyes twinkled that he was warming up to the idea of having sex so fast. "Of course we can. Seme, uke: none of that matters to me. All I want is to please you, Gray. You do whatever feels good."

"Feels good?" He leaned forward until their lips met. Gray hummed at the kiss. "That feels good. Real good!"

He leaned in a little more aggressively. Loke wrapped his arms around Gray's neck and pulled him forward and down. Gray guided Loke's head, wanting to make sure he did not hit the headboard. Even when Loke was down on the pillow, Gray kept his hand on his scalp, running his fingers through the thick mane of orange hair.

Loke's hand drifted down, exploring Gray's body. Gray began to work at pulling off his shirt, but Loke snatched both of his hands.

"Don't undress yourself," he demanded. "I want to do it...please?" he added, quickly flipping from predatory to cutely pleading, like a Lion pretending to be a kitten.

Gray laughed at the vain attempt. "The _uke_ look doesn't suit someone like you."

"And yet that's what you're asking of me," Loke pointed out, taking his sweet time removing Gray's shirt. "Let's not be some stereotyped _seme_ and _uke_. Let's just be lovers, plain and simple."

"Sounds good to me."

Gray looked at Loke's fingers working his buttons and wished he would go faster. Since Loke had started with the bottom button of his shirt, Gray reached for the top one. The Lion lightly slapped his hands away.

"I said I want to remove your clothes," he reminded firmly.

Gray knew he could have completely undressed himself in less time than it took Loke to just take off his shirt. The Spirit then spent ample amounts of time kissing while blindly fiddling with his belt. Getting heated and frustrated, Gray ignored his request and undid the button and zipper of his pants. He glared defiantly at Loke.

"They're not removed," he insisted.

Loke smirked at the technicality. "Maybe I'll punish you for that."

He left it as an open threat, then motioned Gray to stand. He rose, and Loke got down on a knee in front of him. He tugged the pants down, trailing his fingers along Gray's thighs, to his knees, and down to his ankles, until Gray stepped out of the heavy jeans. Loke began to rub the bulge pressing against his boxers. Gray twitched at the grating feel of fabric against his sensitive skin. Loke's hands felt burning hot even through the cotton. When he cracked an eye open and looked down, he saw Loke gazing up at him with a cocky grin.

_This bastard is enjoying torturing me this slowly._

"Hurry up," Gray ordered.

"It's called foreplay, and a lion likes to play," Loke purred with a feral grin. "Or you could consider this your punishment."

He kissed the hard bulge through the boxers, then opened his mouth and, with just his lips, bit the side of the hidden cock. Gray could barely help but thrust up to that teasing mouth. Even if Loke agreed to bottom, he was enjoying taking control for now. Gray smirked as he thought about how he would return the punishment later.

"So," Loke mused lightly, kissing again and again through the boxers, "technically, you haven't had a release in seven years."

"Bastard, it's only been a couple days," Gray mumbled.

"Ah, to your mind, maybe. I wonder what your body thinks though. Shall we ask it?"

He hooked his fingers around the elastic band and savored slowly lowering the boxers. Gray hissed as cool air blasted over inflamed skin. Loke spent a moment simply admiring the virile teen.

"For tonight, you're my master," Loke said in seductively soft tones. "I'll obey anything you order of me. So what do you want me to do...master?"

Gray knew this was just one of his games, but it still made him feel empowered to see a strong man like Loke knelt in front of him, gazing up, waiting to be ordered. For tonight, he had his own little Lion to tame.

"Lick it."

Loke stuck his tongue out and gave a tiny lap. "Heh," he snorted out slyly, and he gave Gray only tiny kitty licks.

"Don't be an ass, Loke," Gray chuckled. "Lick it all the way, from root to tip." Loke stuck his tongue out thick and flat and gave it a long, slow lick. "Yeah," Gray moaned in ecstasy. "Like that." Gray's hand rested on Loke's hair. It felt so fluffy, he could hardly help but pet it. "Suck on it," he whispered, caught up in the moment.

"Yes, master," Loke purred, then slid the whole thing into his mouth.

Gray leaned his head back and let out a long, low groan. His mind flashed to moments with Loke. He remembered the first day he saw the man walk into the guild, looking disoriented and grieving. There was a scene, a friendly pat on the head which annoyed the fifteen-year-old mage. He recalled the first day Loke brought in a girl from town to keep him company and how it shocked the whole guild to have someone from "outside" brought in so casually. Then the day they all thought Lisanna died. Loke had comforted Mirajane, not a playboy that day, but looking like he perfectly understood such grief. The day Erza turned seventeen, Loke asked her out during the birthday party. He nearly died from her rage. Gray and Natsu had laughed at him for finally getting turned down by a lady...until Erza directed her rage toward them. They quickly joined Loke in running away, and the three of them had crashed for the night at Natsu's place.

Then he remembered that fateful mission to the north, watching Loke fight with the grace of a feline, being woken up from another nightmare about Ur, Loke holding him, comforting him with tenderness that was almost like a father, almost like a lover. He realized it began that day, thinking a little differently about Loke. He would not call it love yet. He was not even sure when that emotion slipped in. It just grew, like a tree starting from a seed too small to see.

He remembered the first erotic dream, something very similar to what was happening now, Loke sucking him off, although in his dream they were on a tropical beach. There were many other dreams. He knew he was obsessed, but he never dared to act on it. After all, Loke liked Lucy. Gray also liked Lucy, but more as a sister. Sure, she was cute, but was she really his type?

Gray wondered if he even had a _type_.

Maybe his _type_ came with orange hair and earrings.

He gently pulled Loke's head back. The man made a slight whining noise, pouting that his 'toy' had been taken away.

"Lie down," Gray ordered, staring hard at him.

Loke knew what would happen next. He felt his heart thump. Rarely did he allow someone to top him, but for Gray he would do it. He laid back on the bed and watched the ice mage climb up between his gangling legs. Gray leaned over him completely, rested his arms to the side of Loke's body, and gave him a deep kiss. Loke pulled Gray's hips down a little closer until he felt that heated hardness rub against his own excited erection. Gray reached down and took both cocks into his hand, rubbing them together, spreading the precum from both of them all over. Loke moaned at the cold touch and hot stickiness.

"I know basically what to do," Gray said, "but you'll have to guide me through the first part."

"So, do I get to give you commands now?" Loke smirked up to him.

Gray leaned over and bit Loke's neck as punishment. The Lion Spirit roared at the nip. He had never thought something like that could feel so wonderful.

"Seems that spot is sensitive to all lions," Gray chuckled with a devious gleam in his pale eyes. "Now, show me what to do or I'll fuck you raw." To emphasize the threat, he pressed his tip up close to Loke's tiny hole.

"Okay, okay," Loke agreed fast.

He rolled over to the dresser by the bed and opened it. Leave it to a love hotel to have all supplies ready. He took a bottle of lube, squirted some into his hand, and rubbed it onto Gray's cock.

"Now, rub some onto me and over your fingers, then very slowly slide a finger in."

Gray took the bottle and slicked himself. Then he made sure his fingers were well-lubed. It felt a little gross, but he did not want to hurt Loke. Resting on his arm so he could reach down to Loke's ass but still look at his face, Gray paused with his finger just resting on the puckered rim.

"Are you ready?"

Loke smiled that he was being this considerate. "Go ahead. Slowly."

He felt Gray press, and the lube let him glide in with hardly any pain. Loke hummed at the intrusion as Gray began to slide in and out. It always felt weird at first, but slowly he grew to like it.

"Another," Loke moaned. "Slip in another finger."

Gray looked at the entrance. He pulled back just enough to work in his index finger. Now Loke moaned loudly. Gray watched him, being careful, not wanting to hurt him.

"St-stretch it," Loke grunted. "Like...like scissors."

Gray hesitated on doing anything to cause more pain, but when he made the stretching motion, Loke bucked up at him. It pleased Gray to see him react so powerfully.

"Try...reaching in...deeper," Loke huffed.

"Am I searching for _that spot_?" Gray asked.

"Yeah, it can sometimes be hard to f-..._fuck!_" he shouted as Gray rubbed across the prostate.

"Hard to find?" Gray chuckled. "How about a little of this?"

From those prodding fingers, Loke felt intense cold. He screamed, but he yanked Gray closer to him. "What...the hell...is that?"

"Just a little ice," Gray smirked. "My punishment back to you."

"Dammit, Gray...please, enough. It's...it's too much."

Before Gray could stop his ice magic, Loke suddenly came, squirting a stream of milky fluid over his belly. Gray looked surprised.

"Idiot," Loke rasped out between heavy pants.

Gray kept his fingers where they were and leaned over to kiss Loke. The Lion received the kiss eagerly and wrapped his arms around Gray's neck.

"You're...too damn good," Loke admitted wearily.

"Can I still go?" Gray asked.

Loke gulped down a tired pant and nodded. He spread his legs a little more and raised them to present easy entry. Gray took his shaft into his hand to steady himself. He put on a little more lube just to be sure, then pressed the head in, watching it drill in and spread Loke's small hole.

Loke's back arched and he shouted without restraint from the pain. Gray paused, watching, trying to decide what he should do. Pull out? Keep going? Wait for a moment? He had no idea. After a minute, Loke began to relax. The momentary shock passed. He nodded his head, then opened his eyes to see Gray looking uncertain.

"You're no longer a virgin, Gray," he teased.

The teen instantly turned red. Then he let out a small laugh. "Guess you're right. So, what now?"

"Start slow. I'll tell you when you can go faster."

Gray wanted to thrust in hard and fill him completely, but he restrained himself. He eased himself in, watching the pleasure in Loke's face, his eyes that were always shaded now closed in ecstasy, and he listened to the hums and occasional hisses as Gray's girth spread him wider. Gray thought this face was the most beautifully angelic thing in the world.

"Fuck, you're huge," Loke whined. "More."

Gray thrust in as far as he could go. He pressed it in so Loke could feel the whole length. Then he pulled out. The cold air after such inner heat made him want to go back in to hide there, but chill was something Gray had trained to overcome. He pulled out until only the head was in, then thrust in a bit faster. Loke's moan told him he was getting used to it.

Gray began a slow rhythm, feeling the friction, listening to the moist sloppiness of the lube, and the faint slap of flesh against flesh. Loke grunted at each thrust. When Gray hit the right spot, those low, sultry grunts became fervid cries.

"There! More!"

Gray now had an aim: to hit that spot and keep hitting it, to make Loke cry out loud until he roared just like a lion. He reached down and tweaked Loke's nipples, earning an even louder cry and arched back. Loke was getting hard again and writhing under him. Gray chuckled in pleasure at seeing such reactions.

"Moooore," Loke groaned in a drawn out plead.

Gray held the Spirit's hips and thrust hard, no restraint anymore. He grabbed Loke's cock and pumped it hard to his thrusts.

Loke roared! The sound inflamed Gray. He watched the open mouth, the wild cry, the face of someone about to lose all control and give in to pure animal instincts. He leaned over and bit hard into Loke's neck.

"Fuck! Gray, no! I'll...I'm gonna..."

His shouts were too much. Gray stroked him faster and thrust with no rhythm, just pure selfish need. He needed to feel more! He needed to release the tension in the pit of his stomach! He needed Loke!

His haunches tensed as he slammed in and burst. A loud grunt escaped between the teeth on Loke's neck. It felt...so good! Indescribable! Just thinking that he was cumming inside the man he adored was overwhelming.

Loke stiffened and arched under him. He had hoped to last longer, but this virgin knew exactly what to do. He was too good! Loke surrendered himself to pure instinct, and he felt his own hot liquid splatter again, not as thick this time but twice as intense.

It was like sudden silence after a cymbal crash in an orchestra. After the shouts and moans, after the rush of blood to their ears and screaming tension, there was now peace, floating gently off from that high, and the slow flowing of bliss into their blood stream. All that disturbed this peace were huffs of exhaustion and an occasional hum. Their ears buzzed at the quietness.

Still Gray stayed leaned over, his teeth not giving up yet. He made a few more thrusts, letting Loke's ass milk him. Then as the moment of intensity faded into hazy euphoria, Gray loosened his bite and sucked on it softly, kissing the red mark. He leaned up and smiled down at his new lover. Loke looked ready to sleep. He smiled and laughed happily at Gray. Their noses rubbed together in a moment of tenderness.

"_Okaeri_," Loke whispered. _(Welcome home)_

Gray chuckled and gave Loke a kiss. "_Tadaima_," he replied happily. _(I'm home.)_

"I've missed you." Loke grabbed Gray and pulled him tight against him. "I missed you so much!"

Gray blushed slightly at the feel of the cum squishing between their bodies. "H-Hey! We're getting messy."

"I'll bathe you. Just...stay here with me for a moment." Loke hugged him for a long time, then opened his eyes in surprise. "Um...you can pull out now, you know."

"Oh! Right, sorry."

Gray finally withdrew, then he laid on his side and held Loke in comfort. He supposed it was weird. To him, they were fighting together on Tenrou Island only a few days ago. Loke looked exactly the same, although his hair was long again. He was getting used to it, though. But for Loke...for everyone in the guild, everyone in the whole world...seven years! Gray pitied Loke, waiting so long, unsure what happened.

He held Loke close and whispered, "I'm here now, and I'm staying. I won't leave you again."

The Celestial Spirit sighed in relief. He was so happy to have Gray back, he almost wanted to cry.

"You claimed me," Gray said gently, petting Loke's ginger hair until the Lion began to purr. "Now I claim you. You're mine, Loke. I'm not going to surrender you." He pulled his cuddly Lion closer and kissed the top of his head. "Even if I have to share you with Lucy, you're still mine."

Loke hummed and smiled to himself as his ear laid against Gray's pale chest, listening to his heartbeat. "Taboo. A Spirit isn't supposed to have two masters."

"Silly," Gray chuckled, still high on hormones. "I'm not your master. I'm..." He knew he wanted to say it, but it felt weird. It made him blush. Still, he had to say it. If he didn't, he might wake up and think this whole thing was only another erotic dream. "I'm...your lover."

Loke shivered to hear that. It had been a very, very long time since Leo the Lion had heard words spoken like that. "Llllllover," he purred, rolling his tongue. Then, in weariness, Loke fell asleep in Gray's arms.

**End of Chapter 9**

* * *

><p><em>AN: _**__Okaeri__**_ and _**__Tadaima__**_ are traditional "Welcome home" and "I'm home" responses. They are sweet things to say between couples.__ Remember Natsu blushing when he had to say it to Lisanna? Totally cute moment!  
><em>


	10. X791, Spirit World

**Chapter 10**

**April X791, Spirit World**

One moment they were on the beach, training in preparation for the Grand Magic Games. Then their group vanished with Virgo and reappeared in the Spirit World. Gray looked around in wonder. He had often wanted to see Loke's homeland, but he thought it was impossible. Now here he was. He saw his lover in his full glory and...he was breathtaking!

Loke smiled at them. He had personally picked Gray's clothes to wear as protection while in the Spirit World. The cloak suited him, he thought. It looked bad-ass, if he did say so himself. He just hoped Gray could keep himself from stripping for one day, since those clothes really were the only things keeping him alive in the Spirit World.

Cancer nudged him, and suddenly Loke realized he was staring too hard. Of course, the Celestial Spirits knew who the Lion had been pining over since Tenrou Island disappeared. However, the mages of Fairy Tail did not know about their relationship, and Gray did not want them to find out yet. He needed to watch himself so he would not give away their secret.

Sagittarius beat him to greeting Gray. Loke chuckled that his lover was liked by all of Lucy's Spirits as well. So he smiled to Lucy, spread his arms, and teasingly told her to embrace him. Gray was privately glad she turned him down. Sure, the blushing was a little tattling, but at least she was still pushing him aside. Finally Gray came up to him. His eyes spoke the feelings he could not say surrounded by this party.

"How've you been?"

Loke fist-bumped him, acting as if nothing had happened. "Sorry about that test."

"Next year?"

"Definitely! And hopefully this time, we're not interrupted by a dark guild and separated by seven years."

There was drinking, eating, dancing, and singing. In the midst of it, Loke tapped Gray's shoulder. A small nod was all he needed. They left together, and Loke finally got to grab his hand.

"Argo!" he shouted to a passing Spirit. A large ship came up to him, the triple-Spirit Carina, Puppis, and Vela, which together made the glorious ship Argo. "To my house."

"Sure thing, boss," the Ship said in a taxi driver's accent.

Argo lowered the gangplank, and Loke helped Gray aboard. They sped away along a glorious river of stars, the Milky Way, that flowed through much of the Celestial Spirit World. In under a minute, they were at a large field of shining globes. Loke's mansion was on the largest one, a bright red globe connected to the other areas by shimmering bridges. The house was right by a golden road that encircled the heavens and connected the homes of the Gold Key Spirits, a shimmering highway called the Celestial Ecliptic Path.

"These are the stars of the Lion constellation," Loke explained as they stepped off of Argo. "Here is my home, Regulus, also the source of my power," he explained with a proud face. He smiled to Gray but realized the human probably could not understand how Celestial Spirits got their magic. That was fine; Gray did not have to comprehend the details. "Argo, can you come back in...oh, let's say three hours?"

"Not a prob, boss," Argo nodded and sailed away.

Loke pulled Gray inside the mansion, but they did not get far within the house. Still in the spacious entryway, Loke grabbed Gray's cheeks and kissed him firmly. The ice mage shoved at him, pressing Loke up against the wall. He ground his hips into the Lion, getting him to growl softly.

"I never thought that stodgy old Mustache would let you come here," Loke said heatedly. "Damn, but I want to rip these clothes off you!"

"If you did?"

"You'd die fast. The clothes protect you from the Spirit World."

"But," Gray smirked, tugging Loke's tie loose, "you can be stripped."

Loke smirked that Gray had been thinking the same thing. He pulled him aside to a sitting area with a couch, but they never reached the seat. Gray again slammed Loke against the wall in starving lust. He flicked the buttons of the suit coat and dress shirt with dexterous ease, then slid the clothes off. He ran his hands over Loke's muscular arms, admiring the firm power in them.

"You look better here," Gray said softly.

Loke was already panting hard from the touches. "It's my real body. Sorry if you don't like the hair."

"The hair doesn't matter. I'm more curious about here," and his hand slid down to the bulge in Loke's trousers. "Were you just making yourself look that large before? Maybe part of that spiritual manifestation thing?"

"You wanna find out?"

To answer, Gray dropped to his knees and tugged on Loke's belt. The Lion Spirit watched him doing what came natural and was amused that Gray could undress someone else as fast as he undressed himself. In only a few seconds, Loke wore only his tie. He hardly noticed just when Gray pulled off his suit coat and shirt.

"Seriously, how do you do that?"

Gray smirked up to him. "Talent!"

Gray stayed on his knees as he admired the slight curve and pink shade of Loke's penis. His hands ran up the Lion's thighs, slowly directing all energy and all sensations to the crotch area without touching it. His hands rubbed from the thighs up, then from the hips down. He watched how Loke twitched and listened to him moan from the torturous lack of attention.

"Come on, Gray!" Loke whimpered.

The Ice Make mage chuckled sadistically. He frosted his breath and blew an icy stream of air over the inflamed skin. Loke jerked and tried to thrust himself toward Gray's mouth, but the mage held his narrow hips tighter.

"Please!" Loke begged.

Gray saw the precum already dripping, and the head of his cock danced with desire. "The Lion begging? That's not very regal, now is it?"

His hand finally touched Loke, running up the heated length, squeezing gently, and his thumb traced around the wet flared head. Loke cried out at finally getting touched. Slowly, the hand got colder, tingling at first, then so cold it was painful.

"Gray!" he cried out.

"I think you're even more sensitive here in the Spirit World," Gray teased.

"Don't...too cold. Please!"

Gray chuckled at hearing his splendid agony. He stuck his tongue out and let it warm up what his fingers had chilled. His tongue traced up the thick vein, then twirled around the head, licking the underside before lapping over the tip.

"Stars above!" Loke moaned.

The drastic change in temperature made him groan without any restraint. He almost felt like he could cum right then, but there was no way he would miss out on the chance to have Gray make sweet love to him here in the Spirit World. By sheer will alone, he kept himself relaxed enough to keep going.

"You better not disappoint me by cumming too soon."

Loke smirked down at him. "Just leave it to me...partner!"

Gray felt happy that they were together like this, proud to have such a strong and loyal lover. He wanted to thank Loke, but there were no words. All he could think of was a single action. Acting on instinct, Gray slipped Loke's length into his mouth.

Loke's legs trembled as he tried to keep standing. That moist mouth working him felt intensely erotic, especially here in his own realm. He rested his hand on Gray's raven hair, petting him, sometimes holding him still if the teen started going too fast. He looked down and saw Gray's eyes closed as his head bobbed. Every time Gray grunted or hummed, a shiver ran through Loke's spine.

"Stop," he whispered weakly. "I need...bedroom." He had to sit or lie down before his knees gave way, and he wanted to go one step further. For that, they needed the supplies Loke made damn sure he had ready before they brought Gray and the others here.

He scooped up his clothes and took Gray by the hand. With dire urgency, he yanked the mage along, up the broad staircase, around to one wing of the mansion, and finally to an ornate door that looked a lot like the golden design on Lucy's key. Inside the room stood a massive four-post bed with red chiffon drapes, regal and sensual. Already, candles burned and gave off a sweet scent.

Gray had no patience for a tour of the place. He knocked the pile of clothes out of Loke's hands, shoved at him, and knocked him flat to the bed. Loke struggled to climb on so he could at least lay on a pillow. Then he saw Gray unconsciously beginning to unsnap his cloak.

"No!" he warned sharply. "Really Gray, if you take the clothes off, you could die."

"Dammit," he sneered. "Can't I at least loosen the pants? I'm getting hella cramped!" He adjusted the bulge in his crotch.

Loke sat up and leaned forward. "If you feel anything weird, warn me." Slowly, watching Gray for any adverse effects, he unzipped the pants and reached in to pull Gray's cock out from his boxers. It popped forward eagerly. "Feel okay?"

"I'll feel better when I get this thing into you," Gray grinned lasciviously.

Loke laughed with relief. "I guess you wanting to top works out. This time!" he warned. "I will definitely get you on your back one of these days."

Gray pushed Loke down onto the bed and straddled over him. Loke submissively laid back and enjoyed the cold touches and hot kisses. Gray frotted against him, humming at the feel of his shaft rubbing against Loke's.

"Lube," he demanded, his voice already hoarse with tension.

Loke had the supplies ready. Gray squirted some into his hand and reached down to Loke's ass. The Lion grunted when the finger shoved in a little too fast.

"Careful," he warned.

"You're lucky I'm prepping you. I wanna fuck you right now, raw!"

Gray then thrust in another finger fast, and Loke cried out. Damn, but this kid was eager! None too gently, Gray toyed with him, stretching him, smirking at every groan and writhing protest.

Finally, Gray drew back. "On your knees."

Loke moved slowly, already hurting a little, but he turned around onto his hands and knees with his ass facing Gray. While he switched positions, Gray took the bottle of lube and rubbed some onto himself. Then he shoved Loke down a little lower, grabbed his soft gluts, and massaged them, smiling at how Loke hummed. He spread him, took his own shaft into his hand, and guided it forward.

Loke gasped at the feeling of being pierced. His head dropped down, staring wide-eyed at his pillow. Then he looked a little under him, to the empty space between the mattress and his stomach. He could see Gray's balls hanging down, barely visible between his spread legs.

"You okay?"

Loke raised his head back up, looked over his shoulder, and saw Gray looking worried. He was overly-eager, but he was still a gentle person at heart. Loke smiled and nodded. Gray began to move, and Loke wanted to melt as his body loosened up.

Gray had to seriously restrain himself against stripping. More than once, he began to tug on the cloak only to remember that these clothes were the only things keeping him alive in this world. He tried to distract himself away from his habit by keeping his hands on Loke's skin, touching everywhere he could. It was definitely an enjoyable distraction.

For Loke, this was by far the best sex he could ever remember. He realized it was the first time he tried anal sex in the Spirit World. Every sensation was more intense, every ache felt real to him. His huffs throbbed at his chest. The pain that turned into pleasure made him tingle as it never had before.

"Gray..." he moaned.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently. "Should I...?"

Gray leaned over his back, kissed the green guild symbol, then reached around Loke and stroked him. Loke cried out louder. The way Gray's fingers squeezed him felt so good, strong hands yet delicate fingers, hands trained to chisel ice, yet could sculpt a fragile snowflake. He heard Gray panting, and then felt those puffs of air draw closer to his ear.

"Loke," he whispered. "You are more than just a friend and partner. You...mean everything to me."

Loke felt a jolting shock and looked back to question him just what he meant. Before he could speak, Gray's lips met his mouth. Slowly, in a jumble of legs and arms, they twisted their position. Loke flinched at the sensation, but then Gray helped him to lean back against the pillows, never once breaking their kiss. Loke opened his eyes for a moment and saw Gray's face right up against his. His blue eyes squinted tighter as he strained to hold back a little longer. His arms were stiff to keep himself from smothering Loke. The Lion caressed the guild symbol on Gray's chest.

Fairy Tail brought them together, but their feelings would keep them united.

Gray began to speed up, gasping and panting hard as lust won over. Loke let himself surrender all control and be overwhelmed by animal instinct. They grappled in desperation as their shouts and gasps filled the Lion's mansion.

With a husky shout from Gray and a roar from Loke, the two released together. Gray felt the tension snap, the momentary rush of ecstasy followed by a feeling of floating in heaven. After it passed, there was only warm, sleepy pleasure, pure joy and tangible love. He could not move, the feeling was so powerful and so immensely wonderful. He remained perfectly still, his breathing slowing down, his eyes squeezed tight, his face frozen as he savored the pleasure. Through the hazy warmth, he heard Loke's worried voice.

"Gray? Gray, are you okay? Are you in pain because of the Spirit World?"

"Pain?" He wanted to laugh at that. "No, not pain. Far from it. Except, I'm wondering..." He opened his eyes and looked down at Loke. "How the hell am I going to clean up if I can't remove my clothes?"

* * *

><p>The party was still going on when they returned many hours later. The only person who noticed he had vanished was, of course, Juvia. She ran up to Gray's side almost immediately as they disembarked from Argo.<p>

"Gray-sama, Juvia was so worried. Where did Gray-sama go?"

He gently slid her clinging hands away from his cloak before she yanked it off. "Sailing with Loke," he said brusquely before walking away.

"Sailing?" she questioned, and looked back to Argo. "Does Gray-sama like sailing?" She covered her blushing cheeks. "Oh, how Juvia wishes Gray-sama would sail all over Juvia's water body."

Loke pulled Gray away a little faster with a jealous glare back at the oblivious water mage. "We'll have to do something about that girl," he whispered.

"She's harmless," Gray shrugged nonchalantly.

"I still don't like it," Loke pouted possessively. Gray thought it was far too cute, seeing Loke jealous.

They returned to the feast and realized, to avoid suspicion, they should separate. Gray saw Lucy talking to the Spirit King, so he took a seat next to her, happily being playful with her. He was drunk on love and did not even care if Juvia freaked out about him touching Lucy. Loke went off to talk with the others, but he kept glancing back to Gray. If anyone questioned why his face was pink, he blamed it on the alcohol.

Finally it was time for everyone to leave. Lucy's Spirits gathered to see them off, and Loke promised to visit more often. As they spoke their final farewells, Loke slipped back. He wished he could keep Gray here longer. He wished he could get permission to bring him into the Spirit World whenever he wanted, but when he tried asking the Spirit King he was firmly told no. The time variance between the two dimensions was too much. It was better for him to go to Earthland for his visits, since one day in the Spirit World was three months for Earthland.

As he watched the Spirit King say the final partings, Lynx, a young female Spirit in the appearance of a catgirl, sauntered up to Loke.

"Nii-san looks like someone stole your catnip toy, nyan," she simpered as her tail swished playfully.

"Do I?" he mused, not caring at all if he looked sad to see his friends go.

"It's the raven-hair, nyan? So, he's the one you've claimed. Lucky kid, nyan!"

Loke hummed at that. "Claimed? Yes, I did claim him but...but he claimed me back."

Lynx tilted her head in confusion. "Someone can claim the Lion, nyan?"

"Not just anyone. Someone willing to put up with me for so long."

"He's that same human you were talking about nine years ago, nyan?"

"Nine years?" As Loke thought back, he realized she was right. Nine years! Granted, for Gray the past seven years were a blank, but still... "Yes, I guess it has been that long."

Just then, Gray glanced back at him. The tenderness in his eyes filled Loke with pride. Then in a flash, they were gone, vanished back to their home, back to Earthland and Fairy Tail.

"It took us nine years to get to this point, but," Loke decided with a smile, "it was worth the wait!"

**End of Chapter 10  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em>AN: Lynx also appeared in my story _Ephemeral Sakura, Eternal Love_. I like the idea that the __Lynx __Spirit would be a catgirl and sort of a little sister to Leo._

_This is where I planned to end the story, but then I came up with a new chapter. Please read on for bonus chapters._


	11. July 1, X791, Grand Magic Games

**Chapter 11  
><strong>

**July 1, X791, Grand Magic Games**

Gray had just been defeated. He shrugged off Lucy, Natsu, and Erza. He did not want anyone to tell him he did his best, or that they can still win this.

He failed. That was the blunt truth.

His shirt came off, dropped to the side as he slunk away like a wounded dog, still hearing the laughs from the crowd.

"Raven Tail...Creation Mage..." He punched the arena wall, leaving a huge indent and making his knuckles bleed. His teeth gritted in fury. "I swear, I'll get them back for this."

He heard the announcer bellow out. "The first match of day one! Fairy Tail A's Lucy Heartfilia versus Raven Tail's Flare Corona."

"Good luck, Lucy," he sighed. "I'll leave it to you. Kick some Raven Tail ass."

Only when the dark recesses of the arena shadowed his face did he finally let the tears fall. The first one, he allowed. Maybe it was a tear of pain. Yes, that had to be it. After all, he was a grown man, eighteen years old, and a Fairy Tail mage. He didn't cry! So when the other eye dripped a tear, he wiped it fast. He couldn't cry! Lucy was right, this was just the first round. They could make a comeback. Another rebellious tear escaped, then tears from both eyes fell.

"Goddammit, stop crying!" he yelled at himself, furiously drying his face, yet the tears would not stop.

To his surprise, two arms wrapped around him fast. Gray jolted, ashamed someone had caught him in such a disgraceful moment. Then he smelled a familiar cologne and the softness of a finely tailored suit. Soft orange hair brushed against his cheek as the person squeezed him even tighter. Despite himself, Gray smiled.

"Gray," Loke's tender voice whispered into his ear.

"Idiot," he muttered, choking on the tears. "Lucy's about to fight. What if she needs you?"

"I already let her know to call on Taurus and Scorpio," he said right against Gray's ear. "Those two have a plan. You need me more right now."

Gray wanted to protest, but he no longer had the will. He grabbed Loke into his arms and finally allowed himself to cry. Deep down inside, it felt like he had disappointed seven years of hope his guild had placed in him.

"Last place...fucking _last place!_" he cried, shaking as the anger and disappointment overwhelmed him.

Loke hushed him and smoothed his raven hair. He embraced the teen tightly, as if he could protect him and shield him from every hardship this life doled out.

"Gray-sama?"

They both jolted at Juvia's voice echoing down the arena corridor. Loke briefly saw a look of panic on the ice mage's pale face, ashamed to be caught sobbing by a fellow guild mate. The Lion grabbed Gray's shoulders and yanked him away, then quickly turned into a shower room.

"She can't follow us here," Loke said.

Gray pouted. "Well, she could."

"Nope, they're protected with runes to keep out members of the opposite sex, that way perverts don't peek on the girls showering."

"What idiot would try that?" Gray chuckled.

Loke looked down at him and sighed in relief to see Gray had a smile once more. "You're all sweaty," he whispered, tracing Gray's jaw with his finger. "You need a shower."

They pulled each other to the showers, and Gray stripped off the last of his clothes in an instant. Loke turned on the water, and while it warmed up, he pulled Gray into a deep kiss. The nimble fingers of the ice mage worked the many buttons of the Lion's shirt, yanked the tie off, and had the pants unbelted, unbuttoned, and unzipped in a single, fluid move. He grabbed Loke's tiger-striped boxers and yanked them down to his ankles, kneeling as he went. Then, down in front of him, he caressed Loke's shaft until it rose and hardened. His tongue lapped around the head a few times before plunging down onto him.

Loke groaned and stiffened. His fingers gripped into Gray's hair, pulling him in tighter with a bit of roughness that Gray found alluring. They did not do it for long before Loke grabbed Gray and pulled him into the cascading water.

"Ah! It's cold still."

"Then I'll just warm you up," Loke growled.

He thrust Gray up against the tiled wall. Their tongues clashed while Loke's fingers slid over Gray's abs and up to his nipples. He gave them a tweak and smirked when Gray cried out. The water tumbled onto Loke's fluffy orange hair, wetting it down until it dripped to his shoulders.

"You look sexy with your hair long and slicked like that," Gray smiled. "When it's this way, I think I actually like the long hair better."

Loke smiled, then as his glasses fogged up with the shower, he took them off and set them aside. "Are you ready to try bottoming?"

Gray jolted at the question, then blushed brightly. It was only fair, after all. Their last two times, Loke had been the receiver. "I...I think so. I mean, does it really hurt?"

"Not if you do it right. Being in the shower should help."

Gray stared at the stiff pink shaft and shivered in a moment of intense arousal as his brain thought about how it might feel to have Loke inside him. He gave a quick nod of approval before he chickened out. When Loke presented two fingers to his mouth, Gray hesitated only a moment before licking and sucking on them, getting them slick with his saliva.

There was a small bench in the shower, and Gray leaned over that, resting his hands on the seat for some support. Loke massaged his anus, but he saw the tension in Gray's shoulders. He knew, if he was this clenched, it would hurt a lot.

"Gray," he whispered. "If you really don't want to..."

"I do!" he yelled, but his voice nearly cracked. "Just...just get it over with."

Loke sighed and shook his head. "It doesn't work that way."

He grabbed Gray and flipped him hard to the ground. Already bruised from the battle, Gray flinched at being slammed to the tiled floor.

"The hell are you doing?" he shouted.

"Look at me."

The order was so stern, Gray forced his eyes open. He saw gentle green irises looking down at him. Loke's orange mane draped around his face, the wet locks sticking together and tumbling past his chin. Gray swallowed at how the water changed Loke's appearance so drastically. He did not think it was possible, but the Lion looked even more sexy with the full length of his hair tumbling down. It made Gray want to blush. Then he felt the probing finger again and tensed.

"You can't clench. Loosen everything from your waist down. Make it really loose, like you need to shit out a brick. And look at me. Keep your eyes on me."

Gray nodded meekly and obeyed, forcing his body to go limp. Even when he felt Loke circle around him, testing out the tenseness of the anal muscles, he focused on those deep green eyes and stayed calm. Loke wouldn't hurt him!

He felt the finger press in. His face scrunched up at the weird feelings, but he still forced himself not to tighten up. It felt strange, but it felt good. When Loke smiled in approval, it made Gray feel like a silly kid who had done well at a task.

"What do you think?" he asked softly.

"Nice...weird," Gray admitted.

"You're receiving it well. Good. One more. This might be even more weird."

The second finger joined in, and Gray could not help but tense up and groan. Loke's soft whispers that it would be all right soon calmed him, and after a minute the muscles loosened, stretched, until Loke could press in more. Gray hissed when those fingers scissored him. It did hurt a bit, but not as bad as he thought it would.

"You're doing really well," Loke praised, and gave Gray a kiss to reward him. "Are you ready?" he asked in a purred tone.

"Should we use the bench?" Gray asked.

"We can do it right here."

"There's not much room," Gray pouted, wishing the shower was a little wider.

"Wherever you want it."

Gray stood and took up his position again, leaning over the bench. Loke grabbed some body oil and made sure his cock was thoroughly slicked before pressing it against that tiny hole. He gave a quiet warning, "I'm going in," then gently began to press, guiding his cock inside. This time, Gray shouted. Even being prepped so carefully was not enough to ready him for Loke's full girth. Loke whispered apologies and waited for Gray to get used to it. Then slowly, being gentle and patient, he eased himself in, stopping when Gray shouted, only moving when he gave a consenting nod.

"All in," Loke smiled, and he leaned over Gray's back to kiss his neck. "You did very good, Gray. That's the worst of it. It's all pleasure from here."

He pulled back, then trust in, stroking across the prostate and making Gray's eyes widen in shock. He could hardly believe how good it felt. As he relaxed into it, the pain went completely away, leaving behind wave after wave of pleasure.

"Ah...Loke..._nngh!_" he cried out, thrusting back into his hips.

"Gray," Loke smiled, mesmerized by Gray's moans.

The Lion held the ice mage's waist, moving in and out with rhythmic strokes. He whispered words of encouragement, praising Gray for receiving it so well, whispering how his voice was so sexy, and watching how intensely Gray responded to dirty talk. That was a bit of a shock, but Loke smirked and made a mental note.

"T-...touch me," Gray begged.

Loke looked stunned, then smiled at the cuteness of the red creeping around to Gray's neck and ears. "Forgive me if I ignored you." He reached around Gray and grasped his burning cock. "Like this? You should have said something sooner. You're dripping already." He lowered his voice and tested out if Gray really did like dirty talk. "Am I making you want to cum that badly?"

"Ahhhhh!" Gray yelled as the words had an amazing effect on him. His thrusts backward became rougher.

"You'll hurt yourself," Loke warned, trying to slow down.

"I don't care!" Gray screamed. "God, that feels so good. Harder. Please!"

"Masochist," Loke teased, but he no longer tried to hold back. "You want it hard? I'm gonna fuck you raw!"

Gray groaned and gasped with each thrust, crying out whenever Loke stroked against his prostrate. Hot water sprayed onto his back and dripped down into his opened, panting mouth. Loke's fingers slipped over him fast, gliding with the moistness of the shower.

Loke wanted to tease Gray more with his fetish for naughty talk. He smirked and leaned in close to the teen's ear. "Moan louder, Gray. You sounds so slutty, and it turns me on hard." He felt the entrance twitch tighter at those words.

Suddenly Gray's face was grabbed and twisted around. Loke's lips were hotter than the shower water, and his tongue moistened his mouth after so much gasping. Gray hummed at the fierce kiss. Then, almost roughly, Loke yanked away his mouth, straightened back up, grabbed Gray's hips, and slammed into him so hard, Gray's head hit the wall. His knuckles clenched the bench to hold himself stationary.

"Loke...w-wait...I...I'm gonna..."

"Can I cum inside?" Loke asked in an urgent rush.

"What?" Gray asked, almost too lost in his own euphoria to hear anything else.

"I can't hold out anymore. Can I cum inside you?"

Gray shivered to think about how it must feel to be filled up by his lover, and it drove him to the brink. "Y-yes! Yes, you...nngh...y-you can...ahh...ahnn...cum...oh God, Loke! Cum in me. Ahhh!"

Both the thrusts and Loke's stroking fingers went faster, erratic and desperate now. Loke panted hard, and his face tensed as he drew closer. Gray could not take much more. His toes curled up and his knuckles turned white as he held onto the wet bench. Then, in a snap of relief, he shot off.

"Gah...ahhh...Lokeeee!"

A second later, Loke thrust in hard. "G-Gray," Loke moaned as he shuddered with the release.

"Oh...oh God...I can feel you..."

Gray's tender ass felt hard throbs as spurt after spurt pulsed out and filled him inside. Shouts of intense pleasure echoed through the shower stall. The Lion's claws scratched into the ice mage's pale, scarred back as he strained out his orgasm. Gray thought, maybe Loke was right, maybe he was a bit masochistic, because the feel of those fingers clawing into him felt so good.

They paused, gasping, not sure where the sweat ended and the shower drips began. The water felt cold again, but only because their bodies were burning. Gray stared at his feet as stringy white semen swirled down into the drain. Loke's chin rested on his shoulder, and he felt the heavy breaths of exhaustion in his ear.

"You okay?" came a weak question.

Gray nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. That...that was...really good."

Loke chuckled softly. Gray pouted, thinking he would say something idiotic like _Of course it's good, since it's me._ Luckily, Loke said nothing arrogant. He leaned up, pulled out slowly, sat on the bench, and pulled Gray onto his lap, cradling him slightly. Gray frowned at being pampered like this, but he rather liked it too.

"You make just as sexy an uke as you do a seme," Loke complimented. "We'll have to try it this way more often."

"Sh-shut up," Gray blushed in embarrassment.

"Ah, don't go tsundere on me." Loke tugged his face up and gave him a kiss. "That will change you from __sexy__ to __cute__, and I prefer you to look sexy. __Cute__ doesn't fit Gray Fullbuster."

They heard a roar from the crowd echo through the arena. Gray sighed and stood up. "Sounds like Lucy's fight is over. I'm glad she didn't need you. Still, I should head back."

"I guess so. We'll shower off for real this time."

Gray washed the sweat and semen off from him while Loke scrubbed his back. Then they both got back into their clothes. Gray realized he had left his shirt somewhere in the corridor.

"Don't worry about the battle," Loke said, giving him one last kiss. "It's Fairy Tail. We pull through best when the moment is the most dire."

"I guess that's true," Gray smiled reluctantly. "Take care, and when Lucy calls upon you, don't you dare let her lose."

"Leave it to me," he nodded, then the Zodiac Lion vanished in sparkling light.

Gray stepped out of the shower room and jolted to see Juvia standing right by the door. Her cheeks blushed fiercely, and Gray cursed vividly in his mind.

"Juvia found this." She held out his shirt without making eye contact.

"Ah, thanks. Stupid habit," he smiled nervously as he pulled his clothes back on. He eyed her cautiously. If she was standing outside the door that whole time, she must have heard at least something.

"Um...Gray-sama?" She peeked past him into the steamy shower. "Who...who else is in there?"

"No one," he said. __Shit, did she hear us?__

"Juvia heard...Gray-sama...um...no one? No one at all was in there?"

He held the door wider open. "See for yourself. No one is inside." Not anymore, at least. He was relieved Loke already left, otherwise it would have been far too obvious.

Juvia did peek in a little. "Then..." She suddenly spun around and stiffened. "Juvia is very sorry to have been spying. Juvia will go now. Bye!" She raced off fast, covering her blushing cheeks. "Gray-sama was alone in the shower, making those noises. Oh my! Was he...could he have been...imagining Juvia and touching himself? Oh Gray-sama! Juvia is not sure what to think of that. Juvia should tell Gray-sama that Juvia does the same thing in the shower. Oh, but that's too embarrassing to confess. This is too much." She sighed as her imagination drifted to the two of them showering together, writhing naked and wet in the trickling water. "Oooooh Gray-sama!"

Meanwhile, Gray watched her go and ran his hand through his wet hair. "I have a bad feeling about this."

**End of Chapter 11**


	12. July 3, X791, Ryuzetsu Land, Crocus

_A/N: After over a year of waiting to see where the manga would go, I got an idea for a new chapter. Hope you all like it!  
>BTW, Loke's marriage proposal was only in the anime.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

**July 3, X791, Ryuzetsu Land (well, its ruins), Crocus**

Gray could hardly believe Natsu singlehandedly destroyed the _entire frigging water park_. Seriously, that idiot was...he was...well, beyond a mere _idiot_. Plus now Makarov was mad at all of them, and Mavis would not stop crying. Sheesh, who would have thought the first master was such a crybaby!

At least the adjacent showers were still standing, and the members had gone over there to wash the chlorine off their bodies and patch up any wounds caused by the destruction. Gray could not stand to feel Lyon's touches on his skin. It had been purely accidental, going down the slide with that senpai idiot, but still...yuck! Juvia's boy's-love exclamations were _really_ not helpful. All the others had cleaned up and left already, but Gray remained. He stood under the shower, scrubbing his skin, hoping to wash away the creepiness.

"Water parks are manly."

Oh, so Elfman was still here, and in the stall next to him. He wondered why Elfman had come to the showers so late. Unless...he was _busy._ Gray chuckled to himself. He had seen the hulking Takeover Magic and his glasses-wearing new girlfriend on their little "date." He would not say anything, of course. If he tattled, karma would bite him back, and probably someone would tattle about him and Loke.

He missed Loke. He had dearly hoped the Lion would show up at the water park wearing swimming trunks, or maybe even a sexy speedo. The last time he saw Loke...

He didn't want to remember that!

He was mad at the playboy. Really mad. It was one thing to harmlessly flirt around, and he knew Loke liked to tease Lucy once in a while, but still...

Why the hell did he frigging _propose_ to her?

Luckily, Gray had not actually heard Loke say the words. He had been too busy dealing with Juvia and Lyon. He heard Lucy complain about it last night. When Gray heard her whining about Loke offering to marry her, the glass in Gray's hand had frozen over solid.

He wanted to see Loke again. He _needed_ to talk to him. He wanted to tell him just how angry he was, and ask him if he was serious about Lucy.

And serious about Gray.

How could Loke possibly be serious, yet go off and offer to marry Lucy? Even as a joke, it was too much!

As if sensing he was needed, Gray felt a body suddenly behind him, and Loke leaned up into his ear.

"You wanted me?" he whispered softly.

Gray spun around and made a slight cry of surprise at the sudden appearance. Loke smirked and put his finger to his lips.

In the neighboring stall, Elfman called over. "Is that you, Gray? Is everything okay?"

"Sorry. Water got hot," he called over.

"Hot showers are manly!"

Gray glared at Loke. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wished he could shout at him. However, in this place, with someone only a few feet away, he could not say anything at all. Especially since Loke had showed up nude.

Loke saw the spiteful glare in the ice mage's eyes, and it did not take a genius to guess why Gray was so mad. He really had gone too far teasing Lucy yesterday. He just really wanted to see how she would react to something that drastic. Lately, she just rolled her eyes at his flirtations. There was no fun in that. He wanted to know if she really was sick of his charms, or if maybe he could get her to blush like she used to do. He had not seen Lucy blush like that in ages, and he missed getting a girl to turn pink.

Loke began to reach up to Gray's cheek, but the ice mage slapped his hand away, still glaring icily. Loke sighed, then leaned in to Gray's ear.

"I'm sorry. I was a real jerk. I won't flirt with Lucy again. I want to make it up to you."

Gray still glared, but his eyes widened in shock as Loke dropped to his knees. He stroked Gray's flaccid member, caressing it tenderly, and gazed up at him with a hungry gleam in his green eyes. Gray covered his mouth, holding back moans as Loke stroked him into arousal. Once Gray was hard enough, Loke took him into his mouth and began to softly suck on him.

"Nngh!" Gray could hardly help but make a grunt at that hot mouth licking him up.

"Still problems with the water?" Elfman asked.

"Yeah," Gray huffed. "Too hot."

"You must really like cold showers. I can't stand cold showers. Makes me shrink up, y'know."

"Elfman!"

"I'm just saying. Jerking off in the shower is manly."

"Oh God," Gray groaned as Loke purred slightly as if to agree with Elfman.

"Sorry," Elfman guffawed. "I guess that really was saying too much. I didn't take you to be so sensitive about manly talks."

"No, it's...it's fine," Gray muttered.

He looked down to Loke. The Lion looked well pleased, tormenting Gray like this. Damn him, but he was too sexy, on his knees as if proposing, his lips wrapped around Gray's member, his hands wrapped around and kneading Gray's ass.

"Hey, Gray. You...um..."

"What?" he shouted, terrified that maybe Elfman was about to guess what was going on.

"You're popular with girls, right?"

Loke flinched at that, and Gray felt it through the mouth.

"You're probably thinking about Loke," Gray chuckled, glaring down at the orange-haired man. "He's the playboy. He knows how to please people _really_ well."

Loke smirked around Gray's cock and lapped his tongue around his leaking head.

"True, but Loke's rarely around anymore. I miss the guy."

Gray stroked back the long, orange strands dripping with water. "Me too," he said with a gentle smile to his lover. "I wish he'd show up more often."

Loke's face relaxed, and he gave long, full sucks to show his appreciation.

"I'm asking because...well, there's a woman. A womanly woman! We might be dating."

"Might be? Well, are you or aren't you?"

"I really wish I knew," Elfman grumbled. "The thing is, she's a member of the guild. Doesn't that make things...awkward? You know, dating someone you also work with?"

"I don't think so." Keeping a conversation going while Loke went down on him really put Gray's endurance to the limit. His hands stroked around Loke's ears, getting him to purr more. Luckily, the sound of the showers covered over the low rumbling. "The guild is close-knit. It's bound to happen. Look at Bisca and Alzack."

"That's true. Are there any girls in the guild you sort of like?"

"Nope," Gray smiled. Loke's eyes turned up to him with a silent smile. No _girls_, at least.

"What about Lucy or Juvia?"

"Lots of rumors about those two, but they're only friends. I think Lucy likes Natsu, and Lyon can have Juvia."

"Are you sure? I heard what Juvia said about you and Lyon."

Loke's head jolted up, and his teeth scraped against Gray's sensitive skin, making him hiss in pain.

"Whatever she said isn't true!" Gray shouted angrily.

"But...well, I don't mean to rat you out, and I promise I won't say anything, but...well, we _all_ saw you and Lyon on that love slide."

Loke's mouth popped free, and he bellowed in anger, "Love slide?"

Elfman hummed in question. "Is that Loke?"

Just as Elfman tiptoed to look over the edge of the shower, Loke vanished, and Gray quickly hid his erection with a washcloth.

"Elfman!" he squawked in shock.

"Sorry, I thought I heard Loke."

"I...I heard that, too. Maybe he was listening in on us. He does tend to pop up at the worst times. Now..._stop looking at me_."

Elfman lowered himself and chuckled. "I'm shocked that someone who strips out of his clothes all the time can be so bashful about two men showering."

"They're public showers," Gray said, leaning against the shower stall, angry that now he was so turned on, only to be left unfulfilled. "It's like some unwritten rule. You don't peek."

"Right. Sorry. It's nice that you're so modest despite what everyone thinks, given your habits of walking around half-naked." Elfman turned off his shower. "Well, that's enough for me. We have a big day tomorrow."

"You should officially ask your girl out," Gray suggested. "People want to know where they stand in a relationship. They don't like to be left hanging, never knowing for sure one way or another. It's nice to at least hear the other person officially ask, and officially confess. You should at least do that much."

"Hmm...you're right. It's manly to be direct. I'm gonna ask her out as soon as the Games are over. Thanks for talking with me, Gray."

"Yeah," he sighed, feeling lonely all over again. "No problem."

He heard Elfman leave the shower stall. Gray looked down at the erection still throbbing under the tickling drips of the hot shower. He realized it was best to work it off here. Although masturbating in public showers was a huge taboo, it was far worse to do something like this in their hotel with Erza around. If she found out... Gray shuddered to think what she might do to him.

Nothing to it but to finish up what Loke started. He leaned against the wall and began to stroke himself, closing his eyes, imagining Loke's hands and how the metal rings on his fingers felt so cold at first, and so hot as they heated up.

He was just imagining it, but soon he really did feel it. His eyes lazily opened, and he saw Loke was back, his fingers joining Gray's, caressing him.

"That was really cruel of me," Loke apologized.

"You were crueler yesterday," Gray glared.

Loke's eyes dropped guiltily. "You're right. I was." He gazed back up with sad pleading. "Can I make it up to you? You can take me, if you want." Loke turned around and leaned over, offering his ass to Gray.

As tempting as that was, Gray wanted to _see_ Loke, not just punish him from behind. He pulled the Lion back around. "You don't have to go that far. Just finish what you started."

"I can do that. Or we can touch each other." He leaned in, pressing Gray up against the wall, and whispered into his ear. "I really wanna try stroking each other off together."

A shiver pulsed down Gray's spine and straight to his groin. He reached down and took the lengthy shaft. "Don't come before me."

"That's my line! You're already worked up."

"Yeah, but..." Gray reached around, pulling Loke closer to him, then fingered his small opening. "I'm gonna be doing _this_." He let his moist finger slip inside.

Loke groaned and leaned his head back in pleasure. "That's cheating."

"That's payback for asking Lucy to marry you. What if she took you seriously?"

Loke scoffed at the idea. "Do you _really_ think she'd take a guy like me seriously?"

"I dunno. Should _I_ take you seriously?"

Loke thumbed right over Gray's slit. "You better!" he purred. "I said I claimed you as my mate."

"You also said you'd give up flirting."

"I said I'd flirt a little with Lucy."

"Loke, that might have been seven years ago, but to me it feels like only a few weeks. You said you'd flirt _a little_ with Lucy, just enough so she wouldn't grow suspicious."

Loke stopped his hand and peered with a serious gaze. "I remember my oaths, Gray. It's part of being a Celestial Spirit."

"So is _keeping_ your oaths."

"I was teasing her. She knew that."

"You went too far."

Loke looked aside stubbornly, but then his tense shoulders sagged. "You're right. I'm sorry." He leaned forward and rested his head against Gray's chest. "I haven't had a serious partner in a long time. I guess...maybe I forgot _how_ I'm supposed to act loyal. Flirting is just an instinct. A bad habit. Like you and stripping. It'd probably take you years to break your stripping habit, right? Same with me. I'm sorry." He looked up pleadingly. "Forgive me?"

Gray wanted to be mad still, but Loke had a point. If the Lion suddenly decided he did not want Gray to show off his body to anyone—which was a perfectly understandable thing to request of one's boyfriend—then it would take Gray ages to break the habit.

"Are we dating?" Gray asked bluntly.

Loke blinked in surprise. "We're mates."

"Are...we...dating?" he said slower. "Am I your...your boyfriend?"

Loke's gaze softened, and he reached up to Gray's face, rubbing the wet, black strands out of his eyes. He pushed the bangs away and kissed Gray right over his scar. "Yes, Gray. You're my boyfriend, my mate, my lover, the only man I want...the only _person_ I want. We're dating, going steady, courting, whatever term you like to use. You are mine alone, I am yours alone, and we are a couple in a very serious and very sensual sexual relationship. We love one another, we care for one another, and we will always be there for one another."

"To what end?"

"Hopefully, to no end, but if you mean _to what goal_, then I would say...we figure it out when we get there. I'm not going to propose to you now, because if I did, it would be as meaningless as when I asked Lucy. Neither one of us is ready for something like that. We just began dating. Well, technically we've been dating for seven years, but like you said, it's more like a few weeks to you, and even less time to me. However," he smiled with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "how do you feel about having that as _a potential future option_?"

Gray's eyes widened. "Marriage?" He was stunned, and he felt his cheeks burn bright. "I...that is...I haven't really..."

"Which is why it's a bad time to ask you."

"But in the future," Gray shouted out, yet he froze up with awkwardness. "That is...someday..." He looked aside shyly and mumbled, "Maybe it'd be nice."

Loke's mouth opened, stunned he had even agreed to think about it. Then he leaned forward and kissed Gray hard, pressing him up against the shower wall. He grabbed Gray's shaft again, softened a little from their serious talk, but three strokes were all it took to make Gray's knees weaken. The ice mage also took hold of Loke and stroked him at the same time. His finger was still inside through all that, and he suddenly thrust in a second.

"Oh stars, Gray," Loke moaned.

Gray clutched into Loke's hair and yanked his head forward, thrusting his tongue in, tasting Loke's mouth, sliding his tongue in rhythm to his fingers, and timing his thrusts to the same tempo. Loke was a groaning mess, and Gray was glad they were the only ones left in the showers.

"G-Gray..."

Loke's body pressed up against Gray, thrusting against his hips with desperate need and carnal impulsiveness. The ice mage felt those taut muscles shaking. Loke buried his face into Gray's shoulder and bit him, not hard, but out of instinct. Just then, Gray's stroking hand felt pulsing surges, his fingers felt Loke's ass tensed up, and the heat of Loke's cum dripped along his hand and wrist, to be washed away in the drain.

Loke barely recovered before kneeling down and taking Gray into his mouth again. He bobbed on him fast, persistently, and hummed right into Gray's cock. Gray grabbed Loke's hair with both hands, thrusting into his mouth. He was not going to last long, but he tried to hold back, wanting to feel this for as long as possible.

"Oh God...Loke..."

Loke reached up, and his finger slipped inside Gray. That was all it took to send Gray spilling out, moaning loudly, completely defeated by the virile Lion. He felt Loke gulping him down, then small licks, cleaning him up. It was heaven. Pure heaven! Finally, Loke rose back to his feet, smiling down at Gray's slightly slumped body.

"No other person but you, Gray," he swore. "Just don't be too mad at me if I accidentally flirt. I'll work on that habit."

"It's fine," Gray decided. "You wouldn't be Loke if you didn't flirt with girls. But if you ever flirt with a guy, I'll have to kill him," he smirked.

"Then I'll promise you that much. I'll definitely never flirt with any men."

"Deal."

"Sealed with a kiss," Loke whispered, and he kissed Gray, letting their lips linger together. "I sense someone's coming, though. Good luck with the rest of the Games."

"Yeah," Gray said in a total daze. "You should stop by again before it's over."

"Would that be wise? I might wear you out, and then Fairy Tail would lose. I definitely want Fairy Tail to win this."

"Then I'll work hard to win...for you," he smiled.

"Not just for me, Gray. For all of us who waited seven years. Win it for us all. Let everyone know...it was worth the wait."

"I will," he nodded.

Loke kissed him on the forehead, and then he vanished. Gray let out a weary sigh. He washed the sweat off, scrubbed his hands, and finally stepped out. He dried off and got his clothes on, ready to leave.

As he was walking out, he saw Makarov still scolding Natsu. The poor dragon slayer must have lasted through over an hour of both Makarov shouting furiously and Mavis wailing about the ruined water park and how much this would cost the guild. At seeing Gray, the guild masters finally stopped.

"Are you the last one, Gray?" asked Makarov.

"I didn't see anyone else," he answered.

"Very well. It's getting late. Natsu, wash up. You'll probably be fighting tomorrow. For your sake," he glared harshly, "you had better _win_."

"Yeah, win!" Mavis chimed in. "If you win, I might forgive you for taking away the water park. And just when I was having fun," she pouted. She began to sniffle again.

Makarov turned to her, desperate to placate the first master. Gray took off, hoping to get away before Makarov asked _him_ to do something about Mavis. Natsu trudged away, glaring in rivalry at Gray.

"Hope you can still fight against your _ice boyfriend_, Gray," he mocked.

"You wanna start something, seasick pyromaniac?" Gray growled.

Makarov bellowed, "Don't you dare! You two are forbidden from fighting one another until we leave Crocus. Do I make myself clear?"

"Whatever," Natsu grumbled. He entered the bathhouse, and Gray kept on his way to the hotel. Then they all heard Natsu's raging screams. "Oh my God! Why do the showers reek of sex? Who the hell jerks off in a public shower?"

Gray left quickly before he had a chance to blush in shame.

**End of Chapter 12**


End file.
